


Mortal Kombat High School AU

by AnnoyedSister



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: 17-18, AO3 SCRAMBLED MY FUCKING TAGS AGAIN OH MY GOD, De-Aged, De-Aged Characters, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, High School, High School AU, Multi, OOC, Out of Character, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Rivals to Lovers, Slow Burn, high school sweethearts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 61,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25666543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnoyedSister/pseuds/AnnoyedSister
Summary: Senior year is basically a fight to the death so have this apt Mortal Kombat AU
Relationships: Cassandra "Cassie" Cage/Erron Black, Cassie Cage & Frost, Cassie Cage & Jacqui Briggs, Cetrion & Fujin & Raiden, Erron Black & Kabal, Frost/Kuai Liang | Sub-Zero, Jacqui Briggs & Frost, Jacqui Briggs & Takahashi Takeda, Jacqui Briggs/Takahashi Takeda, Jade & Liu Kang, Kabal & Kano, Kano & Erron Black, Kitana & Jade, Kuai Liang | Sub-Zero & Hanzo Hasashi | Scorpion, Kuai Liang | Sub-Zero & Sareena, Kung Lao & Kitana, Liu Kang & Kung Lao, Liu Kang/Kitana, Mileena & Kitana, Mileena & Tanya & Rain & Baraka, Mileena/Tanya/Rain/Baraka, Minor Kabal/Skarlet, Minor Mileena/Hanzo Hasashi | Scorpion, Noob Saibot | Bi-Han/Sareena, One-sided Jade/Kotal Kahn, One-sided Jade/Kung Lao, Skarlet & D'Vorah
Comments: 131
Kudos: 141





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not gonna take this fanfic too seriously tbh it's just gonna be fun and soft and an excuse for me to write fluff for my underrated ships so don't come for me
> 
> Big thanks to my friend Mary (@cassiecageismybitch on tumblr) for discussing this au with me and helping me come up with things <3

Some say your fondest memories form during highschool days. There's a lot of factors to that however, what environment you're in, who you surround yourself with, where you stand on the social pyramid, how just and empathetic teachers are. 

The drill was the same for pretty much every educational institution.

And so the seniors of Edenia preparatory high school were fighting that fight for good memories and future prospects just like any high schoolers. 

Senior year was a particular threshold in that journey as a big percentage of the inquisitive young adults claim they've matured, established themselves as individuals and so the carelessness and liberty of still being a kid meets the desire to indulge in adult pleasures and be perceived as one, and create a rather.. chaotic time in a person's life. 

~~~

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

"Kitana, for fuck's sake, you've been there all morning, hurry up!" Mileena shouted to her identical twin who's been seemingly walled up in the bathroom since 7 am.

"Give me a minute!" Kitana yelled back as she struggled to iron her jet black locks.

"I'm not running late first day of senior year because of you!" Mileena murmured as she picked the lock with a bobby pin.

Only to see her sister's hardship with the flattener. 

Mileena groaned.  
"Mom! Kitana's doing her hair wrong again."

Kitana whined audibly and smacked her sister's arm, embarrassed that she informed their mom about it.

Their mother, Sindel rushed to them, clad in her morning robe.  
"Baby, I told you to tell me if you struggled with it again. Mileena, go get ready at my vanity and leave your sister be." 

Mileena beamed and walked off but popped back in to ask.  
"Can I use your lip liner, mom?"

"Yeah, sweetie, go ahead."

The younger twin disappeared upstairs and Kitana let out an exasperated sigh.  
"So done with this iron..." 

Sindel chuckled, amused by her daughter as she stepped behind her and combed through the raven locks that had become too hot from her failed attempts at straightening them.

"The strands you take are too thick, dearie."

Kitana crossed her arms and pouted.  
"I was literally taking 3 hairs at a time." 

"Sure, sure." Sindel said sarcastically as she took the iron in her own hands.

She was saddened that Kitana was embarrassed about asking her for help.

It has been sort of a tradition since first grade that while Mileena would play around with her makeup before school, she'd be doing Kitana's hair.

She personally didn't think there was anything wrong with doing her daughter's hair, even if she was now 17, going on 18.

Though she knew, at that age, kids wanted to feel independent, wished to leave the nest every once in a while, so to speak. 

So she'd instruct Kitana on how to do it but she just couldn't get the hang of it.

But her skill has definitely improved since that one time she singed a whole lock off.

She took a strand of her daughter's dark hair and lifted it a bit.  
"See? It should be thin like this."

Kitana nodded her head just a bit, not moving too much as to not disturb her mom's work.

After 30 tedious minutes Sindel was done.

Kitana slipped her sapphire blue headband on before turning to her mother and giving her cheek an appreciative kiss.  
"Thanks, mom."

"Go eat something so you don't starve at school." Sindel said with a small smile.

Kitana nodded and hopped downstairs and into the kitchen where Mileena waited at the table.

Kitana grabbed a green apple and took a nice big bite.  
"Done with your clown makeup?"

Mileena rolled her eyes.  
"Hardy har, you're hilarious." She deadpanned.

Kitana snickered. "I know."

"Who did you borrow your humor from? Kung Lao?" Mileena asked mockingly. 

Kitana chuckled as she took another bite of her apple.  
"Now you're just insulting me. How long till the bus arrives?" Kitana asked, changing the subject.

Mileena looked at an imaginary watch on her wrist.  
"About 10 minutes, for you, Rain's giving me a ride though." She said proudly.

Kitana snorted.  
"Poor guy. went about all your errands all of last year and now he's your personal chauffeur?" 

Mileena shrugged. "Well... he offered."

Kitana pretended to cough. "Simp."

Mileena groaned. "Can't believe I finally get 7 glorious hours away from your annoying ass." 

"Language!" Sindel warned as she too entered the kitchen.

"Oh I forgot we were a good E rated household." The younger twin mocked. "Okay, annoying butt." 

"Thanks for censoring her, mom." Kitana said with an amused smile. 

Minutes passed in silence before a car honked outside their window.  
"Aaaand that's my cue." Mileena said as she threw her backpack over her shoulder. 

"Good luck, sweetie." Sindel said warmly.

"Yeah, good riddance." Kitana added jokingly.

Mileena couldn't help but smirk as she fist bumped her twin.  
"See you, loser."

Soon enough the school bus arrived and Kitana too bid farewell to her mother.

Kitana got into the yellow vehicle and gave the driver a polite greeting, before hurrying to her best friend, avoiding eye contact with everyone else due to her timid demeanor outside of her home.

"Hey." She said quietly as she settled next to Jade.

Jade removed one of her earphones and acknowledged Kitana's presence with a small wave.  
"I'd give a more enthusiastic greeting in honour of the school year starting, but we literally hung out like two days ago." Jade joked. 

Kitana chuckled.  
"If you count volunteering to help Miss Cetrion set-up the lab for this year's classes as 'hanging out'..." She replied earning a small smile from her green eyed friend. 

The pale brunette scooted closer to her friend and peeked at her phone screen.  
"Whatcha listening to?" She asked curiously.

Jade locked her phone and removed her earbuds completely.  
"Just an audiobook Professor Raiden suggested." 

"Is it any good?"

"To me, yes, I like it. Not for everyone though." The brown haired girl said with a shrug.

Kitana snickered.  
"Because not everyone is a valedictorian candidate like you."

Jade laughed back.  
"Bingo."

They felt the back of their seat weigh down as their class clown Kung Lao peeked over his seat and gave them a lopsided smirk.  
"Ladies~... Good morning." He greeted flirtatiously.

Jade rolled her eyes and flicked him on the forehead, ushering him to return to his seat.  
"Good night." 

"Ow!" 

The girls heard him wince and chuckled.

Kitana peeked over the seat to check on him from the sheer goodness of her heart.  
"You okay?"

Kung Lao pouted and looked away.  
"M'fine. Dignity's a little scarred though. The school year just started and I'm already taking Ls from Jade."

Kitana chuckled before turning her gaze to the student sitting next to Kung Lao.

His best friend, Liu Kang, not as eccentric as the former but also funny and well-liked amongst their classmates.

He smiled friendly.  
"Hey, Kitana." 

She blinked a few times before giving him a shy wave and returning to her seat.

Jade squinted and eyed Kitana suspiciously.  
"What the hell was that about?" She whispered.

"Was just checking if Kung Lao was okay after your deadly flick." Kitana answered, knowing well that wasn't what Jade meant.

"Yeah... riiight... Aha."

Kitana smacked her friend's arm with a growl.  
"I can practically HEAR you assuming the wrong things."

"Wrong things? Really?"

Kitana's eyes widened.  
"I was-- saying hi! He's my classmate, is that against the law?"

Jade gave Kitana the most unimpressed look of all time before putting her earphones back in and returning to her audiobook.  
"Oh Kitana..." 

Kitana opened her mouth to say something when Kung Lao reached his between the seat with a pair of scissors in his hand and motioned her to keep quiet.

When Kitana would usually warn Jade about the upcoming prank the petty brunette decided to keep quiet.

Kung Lao enclosed the wire of Jade's earphones between the scissor blades and with a quick snip the earphones were ruined.

Jade let out an audible gasp as she held the useless earbud in her hand.

She gritted her teeth and almost threw herself behind the seat as she smacked the class clown on the head but her attacks were met only with his uncontrollable laughter. 

Liu Kang chuckled and looked at Kitana.  
"Should we break this up?"

The brunette shrugged.  
"Let's just enjoy the chaos." 

Liu Kang snorted and returned to his seat. 

Not even a minute later they got a stern warning from the driver and Jade solemnly returned to her seat and sadly stared at the ruined tech.

She threw one last angered glare Kung Lao's way.  
"You're a dead man."

The boy smirked and leaned a bit closer.  
"Mark me down as scared AND horny."

Jade's face contorted in disgust as she finally turned away from him.  
"Clown."

Noticing Kitana's catty smile the former pinched her friend's arm painfully.  
"Why the hell didn't you warn me?"

"Oops..?" 

"oOpS." Jade mocked.

Without any further complications the bus arrived at the school courtyard and the students pooled out of it impatiently. 

Kitana was happy this was the last year she'd be getting literal bruises from leaving the high capacity vehicle. 

Just then the subject of jealousy of most of the Edenia high students pulled up in his own, expensive car that he got for his 16th birthday.

Class president - Kotal. 

Kitana could have sworn the boy grew 5 inches a month, at this point she assumed he was over 6'4"

It surprised her that he wasn't in any of the sport extracurriculars. 

He noticed them (specifically Jade) amongst the crowd and beamed, waving at them happily. 

Jade sighed as she politely waved at him.  
"Yet another bloke with an irrational crush on me. When will my suffering end, Kitana?" Jade muttered dramatically. 

Kitana chuckled and waved at him as well before he gathered his stuff and disappeared into the school building.  
"Seemingly now, you got lucky he didn't approach us."

"FOR NOW, Kitana, for now." 

With that the two friends moved along.

Not much changed since the end of last year in terms of who hung out with who in the courtyard. The cliques remained virtually unchanged and a heavy sense of deja vu washed over her. 

Remind her, what was gonna be the difference between junior and senior year?

Kitana and Jade made their way inside the school building with Jade stopping in her tracks beside the announcement board.

She turned to Kitana.  
"You signing up to any extracurriculars this year?"

Kitana pouted thoughtfully then shrugged.  
"I was in the cheer squad Sophomore year maybe I should revisit that."

"Sounds fun… I'll probably just sign up to be TA for some of the teachers just to get some recommendations… Of course if little miss anti-social leaves the board."

Kitana raised a brow.  
"Who?"

Then she turned to see who was at the board only to see their classmate Frost aggressively signing under each extracurricular. 

Jade clicked her tongue.  
"I swear she's in every extracurricular every single year."

Kitana chuckled.  
"Is she like a masochist or something why does she do that?"

"Beats me. The ONLY extracurriculars she hasn't joined are the cheer squad and football team… Think she has asthma or something."

Minutes later Frost put the pen back in its holder and walked away, giving them the cold shoulder, not sparing as much as a "hello".

Kitana frowned.  
"What a witch."

Jade nodded.  
"Tell me about it." 

They went up to the board and Jade grabbed a pen and signed herself up to be TA for Professor Raiden, Miss Cetrion and…

Kitana's eyes widened.  
"You wanna be TA for Professor Shao Kahn?!" She asked, completely grossed out. "Jade, he's a creep."

Jade sighed.  
"I don't WANT to but his recommendations will come in handy, he's respected."

Kitana gagged.  
"He constantly and VERY MUCH unsuccessfully flirts with my mom during teacher/parent meetings and it makes me wanna off myself right then and there."

Jade snorted and covered her eyes with her hand.  
"God I already regret signing up…" she sighed. "Onto a more pleasant topic, you signing up for the cheer squad or nah?"

Kitana tapped her chin with the pen.  
"I quite enjoyed it at 15… sure why the hell not." She said before happily signing herself up.

~~~

As much as Mileena genuinely loved her sister. She had to admit, a lot of times, she felt much better around her clique of friends.

Her and Tanya were inseparable since first grade, Baraka joined shortly after, the "muscle" of their little team so to speak

And Rain was newly initiated and was practically a belt boy for all of junior year but he had his official place with them now.

They basically ran the school. Were at the top of its social hierarchy. Nothing was more feared than a verbal beat-down from Mileena and Tanya.

Mileena typed away on her phone at the school cafeteria as Tanya nudged her.  
"Did you see what Kung Lao pulled with Jade this morning?" The latter asked, amused. 

Mileena put her phone aside and rolled her eyes.  
"That was his small ape brain trying to mate with her." She joked crudely. 

Tanya snorted and covered her mouth.  
"We gotta set up this year's bets of will-they-won't-they, remember? Do you think something will happen between them?" 

"Who? Jade and Kung Lao?" 

Tanya nodded.

There was a moment of silent staring between them before they both burst out laughing.  
"T-Tanya you c-crack me up."

Baraka and Rain joined them at the table just as they were barely calming down from the hysterical laughter..

"Whatcha guys laughing your pretty asses off?" Rain asked with a smirk. 

"Kung Lao."

Baraka snorted.  
"What else is new." 

"True, he's always a laughing stock but MY GOD did he outdo himself today, never seen Jade that angry." 

Tanya shook her head.  
"Can't believe the poor unfortunate soul still thinks pranking a girl is a valid sign of affection."

Baraka raised a brow.  
"Isn't it?"

Mileena eyed him up and down.  
"Ew, no, Baraka, get with the times." 

Just then Liu Kang and Kung Lao passed their table.

"Yo Kung Lao!" Mileena called out.

He turned to her reluctantly. 

"Can ya guess what sound this is?" She asked before her and Tanya started puckering up and making kissing noises. 

The boy rolled his eyes.  
"Hell if I know, ma'am."

Mileena snorted.  
"The sound of never kissing Jade." She said way louder than is comfortable for the guy. 

Liu Kang glared at Mileena before pulling his best friend aside.  
"Don't listen to that-- that--"

"Bitch... you can say it, it's not illegal." Kung Lao muttered. 

"I just don't get how her sister is a literal ray of sunshine while she's such a rude wench."

Kung Lao smirked, more focused on the first part of his friend's sentence.  
"Ray of sunshine, huh."

Liu Kang blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck.  
"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah I got you." He decided to change the subject. "You know what? Gonna prove those bimbos wrong. This year is when Jade falls for me and she falls HARD." 

~~~

Big promises, Kung Lao, biiig promises for someone stuck in a high school drama where anything can happen. Only time will tell whether his words are fruitless or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone who read chapter 1 of this I'm really enjoying this AU so far it's sweet it's wholesome hopefully y'all enjoy it too.
> 
> For people who like to immerse in the story more I put together a Google Doc of all the outfits the girls are wearing in this story so yeah!   
>  ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

Transferring to a new school in senior year sounds like the absolute worst decision ever doesn't it?

Well it's exactly what Cassie Cage's parents were making her do.

She suspected that switching from a private school to a public one with no experience in that department whatsoever would be an absolute nightmare but with her dad having to film 2 movies back to back in the area left them no choice but to move... And now she was in the backseat of their chauffeur's car with her mother by her side, heading to her new school… and Cassie's expression had "KILL ME" written all over it. 

Sonya noticed and sighed before turning to her daughter.  
"I don't understand why you're making this such a big deal... You used to want to experience public school."

Cassie threw a glare her mother's way.  
"Uh, yeah, in 8TH GRADE. I didn't plan a whole new environment during the last year of my school life..." 

"Don't you think you're being a little pessimistic? What if you make better friends here. Weren't you tired of those private school snobs? I know I was." Sonya complained, remembering all the bougie teacher-parent meetings where she was forced to be buddy buddy with people she'd usually deck in the face. 

"I know they weren't your scene, mom... But that's all I've ever known and I was used to it. I just don't know what to expect! Shoot, public school better not be like in the movies... Or worse... Like Riverdale." Cassie said with a disgusted shudder. 

Sonya chuckled.  
"Cassie I've gone to public school and I assure you it's nothing like that... At least it wasn't when I went."

"Very reassuring, mom." Cassie said sarcastically. 

"We've arrived, Mrs. Cage." The chauffeur called out.

Sonya nodded and turned to her daughter again.  
"Okay be a good sport and remember - the Blade women keep their head up high!" Sonya said proudly, holding up her daughter's chin.

Cassie chuckled.  
"Yes, ma'am."

"Go get 'em, tiger." She said supportively.

Cassie nodded and left the car. She gave her mom one last wave goodbye as the car sped off.

She entered the big courtyard and opened the email from the school administration about what she was supposed to do.

Apparently she was to be greeted by the senior class president who would show her around.

She sighed.  
"Great." 

Since there wasn't much she could have done besides wait, that's exactly what she did.

Frankly she did… a lot of waiting. 

Where the hell was this guy?!

Tired of standing in one place she made her way inside the school building, not wanting to explore on her own especially since the class president WAS eventually going to find her… hopefully… she decided to just wait next to the announcement board.

Two girls chatted in front of it and after a minute or so she felt the gaze of the taller one fixated on her.

She gave them a polite smile.  
"Uh… Hi!"

"Hey! You new around here? I don't think we've ever seen you." The one dressed in green noted.

"Yeah! Good eye." She replied.

"Are you a junior?"

"Senior actually…"

The girl's eyes widened.  
"Senior? You will be in our class?"

Cassie chuckled awkwardly.   
"Apparently."

"We haven't had new kids in our class since what? Like seventh grade… this is exciting! I'm Jade by the way, this here is Kitana."

The girl dressed in blue waved at her shyly from behind her friend.

Cassie smiled warmly.  
"It's nice to meet you! I'm Cassie."

"Same here! Need anyone to show you around?" Jade offered.

"Actually uh… class president is supposed to show me around? I'm just waiting for him."

"Urgh, that oaf." Kitana mumbled. 

Jade's face fell as she turned to Kitana.  
"That's why he was in such a rush earlier."

She returned her attention to Cassie.  
"Well good luck on your first day! We'll see you in class." 

"See you girls!" 

With that the two friends left her. 

Eventually a tall guy with a neat teal polo shirt and nice beige trousers approached her.

Huh… maybe the people here weren't as different as she thought. Some of them were also bougie. 

"You must be Cassandra." He said in his friendly yet firm baritone. 

She smiled. "Yeah, but Cassie's just fine! You must be uh…" she checked the email real quick. "Kotal." 

"The one and only." He said with a chuckle.

Well… he's cocky.

"Welcome to Edenia high! We're thrilled to have the daughter of such a well known actor among us!" He said excitedly.

"Happy to join the crew." She said jokingly.

He motioned her deeper into the school corridors.  
"Come on, I'll show you around."

She followed him into different classrooms. Ones dedicated to physics, chemistry even a seperate one for history. The art studio she really liked.

The artistic chaos of paint stains and scattered brushes just felt really satisfying. She just assumed you can't go wrong with art class in any school.

They moved along and next was…

"Our music room!"

"Woah this place is HUGE." She said in awe.

It really was. All sorts of instruments carefully leaned against walls and chairs and a nice big stage with a velvet burgundy curtain. 

She walked over and played a short melody on the piano. 

"I made sure our arts program is just as funded as sports…" he said proudly.

This guy needs a slice of humble pie, she thought. But then again if he really did contribute to equal funding amongst school faculties then good for him.

"You really care for this school, huh."

He nodded.   
"Really gonna miss it after graduation." 

She frowned seeing how genuinely upset he got.  
"Tell you what, I already love this place… So you really did a great job as class president." She praised.

"Well our school administration is great, can't take all the credit here. Most schools prioritize sports but they agreed that all activities must be funded." He explained.

She swayed excitedly.  
"Speaking of sports, I caught a glimpse of a soccer field, may I see it."

He beamed.  
"Of course! Follow me."

They went to the back exit of the school that led directly to the bright, fresh soccer field with high multi-row bleachers. 

"Woah… Capital W… Woah…" She said, her jaw dropped and her eyes wide at the brilliant field. "This is insane… so I assume you guys have a great soccer team."

"The best… Huh, school year just started and some of them already found their way here." He said chuckling as he pointed at the several people playing on the field.

Suddenly Kotal's phone beeped in his pocket.   
"Sorry I gotta get this. This is pretty much it for the tour, you'll be okay proceeding alone from here right?"

She winked and gave him a small salute.  
"I won't let ya down, Mr. President." 

He laughed.  
"Attagirl."

Cassie watched him leave before walking down to the bleachers and observing the people that were playing.

Amongst them was a girl with beautiful dark skin and short dreadlocks that kicked the ball a little too hard and it came tumbling towards Cassie.

"Hey blondie! Kick the ball over here!" The girl shouted energetically. 

Cassie smiled brightly and concentrated her energy into the kick that made the ball soar through the air towards the far gate where the goalkeeper barely caught it. 

"Woah!" The dark skinned girl exclaimed. "Nice one, Blondie!" 

She motioned for Cassie to join them on the field. 

She did just that and Jacqui enthusiastically high-fived her for the great kick from a minute earlier.  
"Hell yeah, girl, that was great! I know every good player in this school so you must not be from 'round here." 

Cassie snickered. "You caught me. I'm new." She said throwing up peace signs. 

"What year?"

"Senior."

"Oh for real? Us too. Name's Jacqui."   
The guys that were playing with her approached too.   
"This here is Hanzo." She said pointing at a boy with a man bun and yellow hoodie on. 

"This is Kuai." She continued the introduction. The boy with the blue T-shirt crossed his arms and nodded his head at her. 

"And This is Liu Kang."  
The last boy with a red bandana around his forehead smiled fondly. 

Jacqui snapped her fingers.  
"Oh and how could I forget, there at the bleachers is Takeda. Doesn't like to play but is a great strategist so he's with the crew." She said with a smirk.

Cassie looked over at the bleachers where the guy waved at her friendly.

She smiled and waved back before turning back to the people in front of her.  
"It's great to meet you guys. I'm Cassie." 

"Cassie huh… You gonna join the team or what with that great kick of yours." Jacqui asked curiously. 

"I maaaay be considering it." Cassie said playfully.

"Well make sure to not leave us hanging. We need someone great on offense, these three here..." She started, pointing at the guys. "... And the rest of the team are such softies."

The guy with the man bun, Hanzo, raised his brow at her.  
"Excuse me?"

"I said what I said, boy." Jacqui sassed. 

Cassie laughed heartily.  
"You guys are so chill. I should probably get going though I still have stuff to figure out."

"You chill-ness is still up for debate." Jacqui joked. "If you join the team you'll be officially chill." 

Cassie finger gunned Jacqui playfully.  
"I'll try to fit it into my schedule."

Jacqui rolled her eyes.  
"Pffft, okay, girl."

Cassie left the soccer field with the biggest grin on her face.

Okay maybe this place won't be such a disaster…

Cassie skipped her way back to the school courtyard, checking out the building from every side noting the small graffiti and carvings on the stone walls. 

Suddenly she heard loud laughter and the sound of someone struggling behind the school, right at the parking lot.  
"What the…" 

She peeked over the wall only to see three guys playing catch with an inhaler as a girl with short icy blue hair tried to pry it from them, while audible wheezes could be heard from her when she exhaled. 

Urgh… Maybe she jinxed it when she thought this place was actually cool. 

The sight absolutely infuriated her. She couldn't believe people could find entertainment while physically harming someone.

She couldn't just stand and watch. That's not how her parents raised her. 

She gathered her courage and matched onto the scene.  
"Hey, punks!" She called out.

They turned to her with the tallest guy still holding the inhaler up as the girl jumped to grab it, failing still. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" She asked angrily, hands on her hips.

"Who's asking?" The tallest one replied with a thick Australian accent. 

"If you're not careful - your worst nightmare, you incel." She sassed, crossing her arms. 

The one with a silly cowboy hat snorted.  
"No reason to play superhero, princess, this ain't about you." 

"Well I'm about to make it about it me, Tex-ass." She threatened. "Why don't you pick a fight with someone your own damn size."

The Texan approached her menacingly, standing only inches away from her making her realize just how much shorter she was.  
"Who would that be, doll."

Unfazed, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.   
"Perhaps one of my 8 bodyguards. Don't worry I'll call the shortest one so that he actually IS your size." She said proudly with a smirk. 

"Oh we're so scared." The third guy mocked from the back.

Cassie tilted her head to look at him.  
"Oh you should be." 

She returned her gaze to the southern fella.  
"Especially you, considering you're invading my personal space." She said with a fake polite grin.

He smirked and raised his hands defensively. 

"Now. Be a good little boy and give her the inhaler back." 

The Texan sighed.  
"Give the inhaler back, Kano."

"Mate, she's bluffing, you really gonna back down like that?"

"That ain't no bluff is it? Cassie Cage…"

Kano's eyes widened.  
"That Hollywood bloke's kid?"

"Ding ding ding! That Hollywood bloke's kid will count to three and the inhaler better be back in her hands."

Erron, Kabal and Kano eyed each other with unreadable expressions.

"1…2…"

Erron grabbed the inhaler from Kano's hand and begrudgingly handed it back to Frost.

She hurriedly puffed the Salbutamol, it relaxed the muscles in her airways and she breathed freely once again.

Cassie mockingly patted the Texan's cheek.  
"Good boy."

He smirked as he grabbed her wrist, hard.  
"Watch yourself, Cassie."

He sharply let go of her and motioned for his friends to follow him out of their sight. 

Cassie exhaled shakily.  
"Yikes."

She walked over to the shorter girl, a friendly smile on her face.  
"You okay?"

"That was stupid of you." 

Cassie's eyes widened.  
"You're welcome, you know--"

"That's not what I meant. Thanks, of course, but those fuckers won't leave you alone now. Should have just minded your business, you don't even know me."

Cassie shoved her hands in her pockets and shrugged.  
"Well we can change that! I'm Cassie."

"...Frost."

"How'd they get your inhaler anyway…"

"That Aussie fucker snatched it out of my bag."

"Why the fuck would anyone do that."

"They probably get off on being absolute fucking wankers." 

Cassie snorted.  
"Aren't you a sweet talker."

"Just saying it how it is."

"I can get with that." Cassie said cheerfully offering Frost a fist bump.

The latter barely suppressed a smile as she returned the gesture.

Frost sighed.  
"Well since first day isn't at all about class and more so about returning to the ways of this jungle of a school maybe we could go to the cafeteria…In exchange of that ~heroic~ save, I'll explain the school hierarchy to you."

"Sounds good. Lead the way."

The two girls walked back into the the school and to the cafeteria in silence and once there Frost let out the most exasperated sigh Cassie has ever heard.   
"Okay… Here we are at the citadel of evil." 

Cassie chuckled… but Frost remained stoic.

"Oh fuck you're serious."

"So… the bottom of our social pyramid are the edge tables. Basically Mariana trench… rock bottom… that layer of society includes weirdos like D'Vorah… she's just plain weird. Collects bugs and shit."

"Yikes."

"Exactly. Also Bi-Han! Homeboy used to be popular then got in a nasty fight with another guy on 9th grade and his reputation tanked."

Cassie remained silent and just listened intently.

"A tier higher are the normal folk… Nobodies but also nothing offensive about them. That includes you… and other unremarkable people. Like the three musketeers you fought earlier.

"How is there nothing offensive about them."

"In terms of popularity they don't strive to be higher." Frost explained. "Next tier are the prodigies. Our valedictorian - Jade, her friend that she got into the tier. The class president. The football team and of course yours truly."

"Who do you sit with?" 

"Mostly alone." 

"Aww--"

"Don't pity me! Now… the top tier and the center table respectively… they're basically our school's version of the plastics. No particular reason for their popularity they're just hot, their leader is the cheer team captain and they're rich… Honestly if you really wanted you could get in their clique."

Cassie grimaced and crossed her arms.  
"I highly doubt I'll enjoy their company."

"Suit yourself." 

Cassie opened her mouth to say something when someone called out her name.

"Yo, Cassie!"

She searched for the voice and it belonged to Jacqui who waved her over straight to the high tier table. 

"Hey since you're high tier already maybe you'll join me with them." Cassie offered Frost cheerfully.

Her breathing became rapid almost immediately.  
"Y-you know what I forgot I-I uh… I have to get something from my locker… You go ahead th-thoughokaybye--" 

"But--"

But Frost already bolted.

Cassie blinked a few times.

Weird.

She made her way to Jacqui's table.  
"Hey again."

"Hey yourself, how'd you get Snow Queen over there to be all buddy-buddy with you."

"Kind of a long story." Cassie settled down between Hanzo and Jacqui. "I offered her to merge with you all for a day and she just DIPPED." 

Jacqui snorted, taking a sip from her water.  
"It's probably due to her weird disdain towards Kuai, isn't that right."

Kuai raised his hands defensively.  
"Don't look at me I haven't done anything."

Takeda turned to him.  
"Dude, the two of you are the ONLY people to attend every extracurricular and you outdo her as top participant every single year, I'm not surprised she hates you."

Kuai picked at his food, his brows furrowed.  
"That wasn't my intention. Maybe she just shouldn't be such a sore loser." He mumbled. 

"It's okay, she'll come around. Maybe let her win at something for once."

Kuai groaned.  
"Oh yeah? Like the time I let her win at the chess championship and told her afterwards that I did, in fact, LET her win and she dumped a cup of water on my head." 

Cassie laughed audibly.  
"Oh my God, did she really?"

"She did not hesitate." He said with a chuckle. 

Jacqui turned to Cassie.  
"Our school's a little melting pot of crazy, you see." 

Cassie rubbed her hands together mischievously.  
"I'll be glad to add to it."

~~~

New girl Cassie already wreaked havoc and the first day isn't even over yet. Will she regret crossing those bullies or will she enjoy the adventures they bring along?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, leave kudos and comment something nice if you want to of course. :))


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic was received very well and I'm so happy about it!! It's nice and light and fun and gives me a reason to use my favorite clichés lol.
> 
> if any of you want to immerse yourself in the story further I put together a Google Doc of all the girl's outfits 
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

As much as Cassie hoped that today would just be hanging around and doing nothing of substance in the cafeteria, Jacqui assured her that they DID have class on the first day albeit, only one. 

Cassie left their company earlier than they'd want, as she wished to get to the classroom before the rest of her classmates did because like any new kid, she didn't want all eyes on her.

Jacqui and company assured that MOST of their teachers were chill or at least reasonable which Cassie personally couldn't say about the snobby fucks that were her teachers in her old private school. 

The teacher can really make or break a student so Cassie hoped Jacqui's reassurance was justified. 

They especially praised Mr. Fujin, whose class they're attending today, said he really vibed with the students which is exactly what she's looking for. 

On the way to the classroom Takeda kindly directed her to, Cassie saw Frost fiddling at her locker. 

Huh... Maybe she really DID need to get something from it.

Cassie hopped over to her newly made friend and peeked over her shoulder.  
"Whatcha doing?"

Frost squeaked and shut the locker immediately. 

Cassie's eyes widened as she stepped away and raised her hands defensively.  
"Woah woah, easy!"

"You don't sneak up on people like that, Cassie, Jesus Christ." 

"You jumped like you're hiding a corpse in there."

Frost pressed her back against the locker and crossed her arms.  
"Well what if I am?"

The blonde raised her brow. "You're one strange, mysterious gal, Frost."

"Whatever. Done sucking up to the football team?"

Cassie furrowed her brows and smacked Frost's arm.  
"That's uncalled for." 

The blue haired girl just rolled her eyes and shifted the weight of her backpack from one shoulder to another.  
"I already told you, I'm saying it how it is."

"Like you're any better! Zoomed out of the cafeteria to not sit with them." Cassie pointed her finger accusingly at Frost. "They told me about your little rivalry with Kuai by the way."

Frost snort-laughed as she started walking towards the classroom.  
"And what riveting legend did they tell you, may I ask?" She questioned sarcastically.

Cassie followed her.  
"Well... Firstly that you poured water on him for letting you win during a chess tournament."

"Jerk had it coming. I won fair and square."

"But how is he a jerk?! He seems so nice!"

Frost groaned. "Doesn't he seem--... I don't know, too nice?! People like him, he's a straight A student, he's top extracurricular participant, he's on the damn football team, he seems like a student from a school advert!" She complained.

"Or maybe he's just… like that." Cassie deadpanned.

"He's suspicious."

"I see there's no convincing you otherwise."

Frost looked at her with a grin and ruffled her blonde retro ponytail.  
"Aren't you smart?~" 

With that they arrived at the classroom. 

Though a lot of seats remained empty still, there was a decent amount of people getting ready for class already… with some of them still unfamiliar. 

Cassie recognised the two girls she met at the announcement board earlier, they were seated in the furthest of three rows of desks, at the first one. They quietly observed as Liu Kang, the friendly guy from the football team arm-wrestled a guy with a backwards cap whom she hasn't met yet. 

"Look at those meatbrains." Frost complained before moving to her seat, patting the chair next to her for Cassie to join.

"Be right there, I'll go say hi." Cassie said confidently.

In her peripheral vision she saw the three losers from the parking lot in the very back of the class, the gaze of the Texan burning through her, though she promptly ignored it. 

Cassie cheerfully approached the quartet at the furthest row.

Jade's disinterested look shifted from the arm-wrestling duo to Cassie and her face brightened.  
"Hey! You survived your first 2 hours here!" She said jokingly.

"That I did!" Cassie replied.

Kung Lao looked back, assessing Cassie and Liu Kang took advantage and forcibly lowered his friend's hand on the table.

Kung Lao glared at his opponent.  
"Dude you can't just steal the win while I'm distracted by pretty girls." With that smooth compliment he returned his gaze to Cassie.  
"Name's Kung Lao." He took her hand and pressed a soft yet dramatic kiss to her knuckles. "Pleasure to meet such a babe." 

Cassie chuckled softly.  
"Glad to know that there ARE gentlemen in this school." She said purposefully loud for the trio in the back to hear. 

Jade eyed Kung Lao up and down before addressing Cassie.  
"Careful, Cass, he's an anthropomorphic leech." She joked.

"Sounds like someone's jealous." Kung Lao accused.

Cassie chuckled nervously. "Uh oh… I wouldn't want to intrude in any… personal affairs." 

"By all means, have him." Jade replied. 

"Why you gotta be so ruuude~… don't you know I'm human tooooo~" Kung Lao started singing to Jade dramatically, earning chuckles from the people in the classroom.

"SHUT. UP." Jade shouted. 

Kitana gently grabbed Cassie's arm.  
"Sorry about them…" she whispered shyly.

"Nah it's fine, I love this drama already." The blonde said, laughing.

After that confrontation Cassie noticed two other classmates she didn't meet yet… but something about them didn't seem very… friendly. From the guy dressed in all black to the brunette girl with a loose white strand and extra eyeliner sitting on his lap she assumed they just wanted to be left alone.

She settled next to Frost again without looking away from them.  
"Who're they?"

"Oh that's Bi-Han, told you about him earlier... and his girlfriend - Sareena. Good on you for not approaching them, wouldn't be surprised if they offered you to be in some cult."

Cassie furrowed her brows at Frost.  
"You need an attitude change stat… They're just gothic."

"I've been their classmate for 12 years, YOU'VE never met them. You can't fact check me."

Cassie shook her head.  
"Whatever…"

Minutes passed in silence and suddenly 4 more people barged into the classroom like they owned the place.

Cassie recognised them from Frost's explanations as the mean girls gang of their school.

Although half of them… Weren't even girls, but that's besides the point.

They settled in the two front desks of the middle row and their leader, whose name she didn't bother to remember yet, caught her staring. 

A sense of deja vu washed over her as she realized the girl looked almost identical to Kitana save for the noticeable scar on the former's cheek. 

A bright smile spread on the girl's beautiful symmetrical face.  
"New people, guys! Where are our manners."

Mileena pulled her chair next to Cassie while Tanya forcefully pulled Frost off her seat and settled on it.

"Uhm?!" Frost said, but was completely ignored. 

Okay Cassie DEFINITELY wasn't a huge fan of them.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, sweet cheeks, but aren't you famous-actor-plus-absolute-daddy Johnny Cage's daughter?" Mileena asked directly.

Cassie sighed.  
"Well… Yeah."

Tanya and Mileena looked at each other and squeaked excitedly.  
"Sis, you totally HAVE to sit with us we have sooo much to ask!" Tanya exclaimed obnoxiously.

"Oh my Gosh, yeah! Rain, sweetie, can you leave that seat for a bit."

The brunette boy's face fell. "But--"

Cassie raised her hands.  
"Woah woah woah, girls… I kind of already have a seat at this point... and I'm gonna stick by it." She said sternly.

Frost's eyes widened and the corners of her mouth raised happily for a split second. 

Mileena scoffed.  
"Oh... well… Suit yourself." 

And with that the two girls returned to their desk. 

Frost smiled at Cassie appreciatively.  
"Thanks…" 

Cassie chuckled.  
"Don't thank me so soon, now you're stuck with me, girl." 

"Could be worse." 

Just as the bell rang Jacqui and company returned from the cafeteria and took their seats. 

They were closely followed by a young teacher with light grey eyes and similarly colored hair in a neat vest and trousers.

Cassie whistled internally.  
"You didn't mention that the cool teacher was also hot." She whispered as she turned to Jacqui.

Jacqui snorted quietly.  
"Tell me about it." 

"I see we have an addition in this humble little class." The teacher said in a joking manner. "Introduce yourself, miss. Name, where'd you join us from and maybe an interesting fact about yourself." He continued, friendly. 

Cassie smiled at the class softly as she got up.  
"Uhm, I'm Cassie, I recently moved here from Los Angeles and an interesting fact is uhm… I can do 60 clapping push ups without getting tired." 

"I can barely do 50…" she heard Liu Kang whisper across the classroom.

Mr. Fujin smiled at her and nodded.  
"Nice to have you here, Cassie, I hope you've experienced only hospitality so far."

She chuckled.  
"For the most part." 

With that she returned to her seat.

"Now. I know none of you want to do any real work on the first day and I can totally get behind that but I'd still like to remain on the topic of history so let's just have a nice verbal discussion."

Everyone murmured in agreement, waiting for the topic the teacher would offer. 

"All summer I've been working on a doctorate about historical alliances. Strong ones, weak ones, ones that were mutually beneficial and ones that ended in betrayal. I'd like to hear from you all, what's an example of a… Let's say… An alliance that's doomed to fail."

Some students started thinking while others waited to ponder on a friend's opinion.

To everyone's surprise, including the teacher's - Erron raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Black." The teacher said, wary yet excited for what the Texan was about to say.

With a cocky grin he stared pointedly at Cassie as he spoke.  
"Denying an alliance with a powerhouse to remain loyal to a weak link lowlife." He uttered with venom in his voice. 

Cassie grit her teeth.  
"You little…" 

"That's definitely an obvious one, Mr. Black one that would be quickly judged."

"Thank you, sir." He said, pleased with himself, knowing damn well that the whole class understood that his example was about Cassie refusing Mileena.

Cassie hurriedly raised her hand.

"Yes, Cassie." 

"Sir, history has shown that sometimes alliances with weaker countries create longer lasting benefits for all parties since it's the supernations that care about status and agendas more than loyalty." She countered, glaring at Erron.

"But when things turn against you how capable will those weak links be to defend you." Erron said, amused.

"The hell's wrong with him…" Jacqui whispered.

"Just seems stupid doesn't it, Mr. Fujin." The Texan continued.

"Well, you see--"

Anger bottling up, Cassie turned to the southerner again.  
"Well who are you to judge anyone's stupidity while you unironically wear a cowboy hat?"

"Pfffft, doesn't seem relevant--" 

"Come on, huckleberry, go plant some corn." She said with a fake southern accent.

"Miss Cage--"

"Oh and remove the one up your ass while you're at it!" She snapped.

And after that the class exploded with laughter.

Kung Lao even left his seat to high five Cassie.

Erron's face contorted with anger as everyone, even his friends, laughed at him. 

He sunk back in his seat, his face gaining a deep shade of red from the embarrassment. 

Cassie realized what she blurted out when she saw the teacher's angry expression as he settled everyone down.

"Miss Cage, I know you're new but I'm pretty sure such behaviour is unacceptable in any educational institution. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but please control your language next time."

"I understand… I'm sorry, Mr. Fujin."

~~~

Class went on normally after that.

Frost looked between Cassie and Erron worriedly all throughout it. She didn't usually care about anyone else but she wouldn't want that Tex-ass to tear apart someone she could actually stand. 

When the bell rang she quickly left the classroom out of habit.

She hesitated at the door, maybe she should have talked to Cassie about what just happened..

But it's not like they were… that close yet… she'll manage.

Only one of her multiple extracurriculars was available on the first day and she decided to just head there and get an attendance mark already, hopefully earning a head start over Kuai Liang. 

She crossed the corridor to the physics lab where the astronomy non-mandatory classes took place, taught by the school principal herself, Mrs. Kronika. 

When she slipped inside the older woman was already setting up the projector for the material they had to watch during the first class.

A few other students were already seated as well. They murmured amongst themselves as they saw her. Most likely remembering just how competitive she usually is during these classes. 

A minute or so later the resident golden boy arrived as well.

Urgh. His mere presence annoyed her.

"Sorry if I'm late, ma'am." He said with a soft apologetic smile.

Ew. Suck up.

"Take a seat, Kuai." The strict woman said dismissively.

He nodded solemnly and looked around, deciding where to sit.

She didn't know if it was an accidental pick or not but he picked the seat next to her.

She tensed from his close proximity. What the fuck does he want from her, most of the classroom was at his disposal and he chooses the chair directly next to her?

It's official. He exists to spite you, Frost.

She bit the eraser on the edge of her pencil, clearly agitated.

Who the fuck does he think he is?! Barging in all charming with his slicked back jet black hair… in his navy blue turtleneck that hugged his body so well--

Oookay that's a weird direction her thoughts wandered in.

But why… just WHY did he sit right there--

"Hey." He said quietly, with a small smile on his face.

She eyed him up and down with her icy glare.  
"What do you want?"

"Nothing just-- Talking to you… Is that against the law?" He said jokingly.

"If I say yes, will you stop?" She deadpanned.

Kuai sighed sadly.  
"How is it always one step forward, two steps back with you."

She snorted.  
"What step forward was there?"

"Well you didn't kick me off this seat so I thought THAT'S progress." He replied sarcastically. 

She rolled her eyes.  
"Whatever. I'm not in the mood for this." She mumbled.

Kuai sighed thoughtfully. Was there really no way to establish small talk with this girl? He knew she loved being praised so… Maybe flattery would work.

"You know… I'm glad you always return to these extracurriculars… You're the only one who poses a challenge to me intellectually." He complimented.

Her eyes widened.  
"R-really?-- I-I mean duh! Pffft, of course I am the only one on your level." She boasted.

"You really give me a run for my money… until I eventually win of course." He whispered, with a bit of cockiness in his tone.

"Someone's awfully presumptuous…" She said through her teeth angrily.

"Well there IS a pattern of me beating you in everything…" 

"Are you TRYING to get a rise out of me? Tired of living? Want another refreshing cup of water on your head?"

"What's going on back there?" Mrs. Kronika asked sternly. 

Frost gulped and looked down shamefully.  
"N-nothing, ma'am."

He made sure the teacher wasn't watching anymore and leaned his head towards her.  
"Don't worry, being number 2 is nothing to be ashamed of." He whispered.

She snapped and moved closer still, gritting her teeth furiously.  
"You're gonna swallow those words, punk. This year is when I wipe the floor with you." She whispered back.

He smirked at her confidence and at how close she got in the process of her challenge. 

The tips of their noses practically touching.  
"We'll see about that then." He said with a wink before backing away from their stare down, returning his attention to the principal. 

She blinked a few times, processing what just happened before slowly slumping in her seat.

What a fucking jerk…

~~~

As the school day came to an end the "Black dragon" clique made its way to the school parking lot once again, with the intention of smoking without the school security busting them.

Erron was still fuming from his confrontation with the new girl earlier. 

He angrily lit his cigarette and took a long puff before exhaling it with an irritated sigh.

Kano clicked his tongue.  
"Are your panties still bunched up from what happened during class, mate?" 

"Shut up, Kano."

"You just gonna let it go, dude?" Kabal asked inquisitively.

Erron smirked as he took another puff of the nicotine filled tube.  
"Hell nah… That Hollywood brat will regret crossing me…"

Kabal perked and rubbed his hands together mischievously.  
"What's the plan? Vandalizing her locker? Rigging her chair? Burning her hair?"

Erron leaned against his motorcycle and chuckled menacingly.  
"Nah that's all child's play… there's only one true way of ruining a chick."

Kano and Kabal eyed each other, confused.  
"How, mate?"

"Breaking her heart."

Kabal scoffed.  
"...Well that's anticlimactic."

"Yeah good luck making her fall for a bloke like you." Kano added.

"She has pretty much grown up in a Hollywood. Chicks like her dig that bad boy romance." 

Kano rolled his eyes.  
"Let's say she falls for you then what? You gonna publicly humiliate her?"

"Well… Yeah." Erron said with a shrug.

Kano smirked slowly.  
"There'll definitely be a lot of fun ways to do that."

Erron threw his arm around his friend.  
"Knew you'd come around. So, Kabal… you in?" 

The third friend smiled mischievously.  
"Hell yeah, let's do it."

~~~

Uh oh, what did Cassie get herself into? Will the irreverent cowboy succeed to seduce her only to break her heart? In any case he has a long way to go before getting to that step.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support on this fic!! I'm so glad people are enjoying it and EOME readers don't y'all worry chapter 8 is ON ITS WAY my estimate is literally within these 2-3 days.
> 
> As always the Google Doc for the girl's outfits in this story  
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

A week into the school year and it was definitely promising to be interesting and very VERY eventful.

One person that couldn't care less about the class drama was Jade. The valedictorian.

Maybe that's why she was one? Her head was always in the right place.

Well, to her it was the right place.

Didn't matter what others claim.

Words like "nerd" or "workaholic" were almost compliments to her.

More insulting were the claims that she was too pretty to be the valedictorian.

As if a beautiful woman couldn't juggle being a smart one as well. She never downplayed her physical attributes. She knew she was attractive. She knew that class presidents and class clowns alike were head over heels for her. Did that ever tempt or distract her from her academic achievements? Absolutely not.

Even less tempting were the platonic prospects.

Time and time again Mileena and her goons offered her a seat at their table.

But she much MUCH preferred the former's twin's company ever since first grade.

Final day of the first school week, Jade plopped down next to Kitana at their desk with a wide smile on her face.  
"Soooo…"

Kitana chuckled as she glanced at her friend.  
"Soooo..?"

Jade gasped.  
"Kitana! First Friday of many this year! Milkshakes at 'Sub-Zero's Frozen Treats!' Don't tell me you forgot!"

Kitana beamed.  
"Oh my God, right! I completely filtered that out."

"I still don't get why they close for summer!" Jade complained.

Kitana chuckled.  
"You'll have to ask Kuai or Bi Han, their family owns the place."

"You think I haven't? Well… I haven't asked Bi Han, he creeps me out but I've asked Kuai and he refused to tell me why."  
Jade said with a fake pout. 

Kitana laughed at her friend's exaggerated reaction and within seconds Jade joined in.

Unsurprisingly Kung Lao leaned over his desk to get between them.  
"What are you ladies giggling at." He asked with a smirk.

Jade shoved his face back.  
"None of your business."

Kitana mouthed "Stop!" to her friend.

Earning nothing but an eye roll.

Kitana bit the tip of her pencil thoughtfully.  
"Do you think we should invite the new girl?"

Jade's eyes widened.  
"Who are you and what have you done with Kitana? You never want anyone joining us."

"Yeah I know just… She seems chill plus she must not know that it's a common hang out place for Edenia high students."

"You have a point there…"

Just then Kotal approached them with a charming smile on his face.  
"What are you girls chatting about."

"Just some after school plans."

"OH SO WHEN HE ASKS IT'S OKAY." Kung Lao butted in.

Jade turned to him.  
"Shush, the adults are talking." She mocked.

"You're 17…"

Jade ignored that and returned her attention to Kotal and Kitana.

"You girls gonna grab milkshakes at Sub-Zero's? I was thinking of going too…"

Jade rolled her eyes.  
"Is that so…"

"H-hey maybe we could go t-together! My treat." He said, blushing. 

"Uhm… that's very nice of you Kotal--"

"You can join!" Kitana blurted out.

Jade nearly jumped off her seat.

"Great! See you girls then…" Kotal said before walking off.

Jade barely held back from kicking Kitana off her chair.  
"Kitana! What! The! Hell!"

"What?! Those milkshakes are really expensive!"

"I… I can't believe you..." Jade said, disappointment caking her voice.

The class bell rang and everyone flooded in along with the teacher, leaving Kitana time for one more question.

"So we're gonna go directly after class or..?"

"NO! We're gonna stall in the library as much as possible, so hopefully he'll bail."

"And miss out on free milkshakes?!"

"And miss out on over an hour of him uselessly flirting with me."

"Okay… Point taken."

~~~

Jade quickly got over the anger and her and Kitana continued planning their day cheerfully.

Slogan for the day kind of ended up being "the more the merrier" so they agreed on inviting the new girl too who gladly accepted their invitation.

As the final bell for the day rang, Jade's plan was to bolt to the library but she bumped into who she was trying to avoid at the finish line. 

Urgh. Just her luck.

Kotal beamed as he approached Jade and Kitana.  
"Hey! You girls ready to go?"

Jade grimaced and fidgeted with her fingers.  
"Heyyyy..! Me and Kitana have to gather some material for Professor Raiden and it might take an hour or so… Wouldn't want to hold you up…"

Kotal's face fell.  
"Damn… I can't in an hour… Oh well I… maybe next week?"

"Yeah! Sounds great!"

He smiled sadly as he walked past them, devastated.

Kitana put her hands on her hips as she looked at Jade accusingly.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Look what you did to the poor guy. Look at him. He's got anxiety."

"Don't reference a meme when we're being serious… URGH!"

Overwhelmed with irrational guilt, Jade ran off after the class president.  
"Kotal!"

He turned back to her and gave her a half smile.  
"What's up."

"I'm sorry that library work came up."

He chuckled sadly.  
"Look, Jade, I know you probably made that up so you could enjoy a girls only time with your friend, I get it, next time if I'm being intrusive just tell me... just don't… lie to me." He explained. 

She blinked a few times.  
"I… Okay…" 

"If you change your mind though… my offer stands… Anything you want there… my treat…"

She smiled and nodded.  
"I'll… take you up on it…"

He smiled happily and pinched her cheek teasingly.  
"See you."

As he left her line of sight she sighed in relief.  
"That could have gone worse…"

She rejoined Kitana near the library.  
"Now that that's done can we skip the library?"

Jade frowned.  
"No. You got us into that mess in the first place now we WILL gather material for Mr. Raiden for my first TA assignment."

Kitana groaned.  
"I thought you really made that up!"

"Well, think again."

~~~

"I hate this… I hate reading… I don't wanna be able to read anymore…" Kitana whined as she turned the 60th page of what seemed like an infinite book.

Jade giggled as she happily switched to page 125 of her own book.  
"Serves you right."

"Look I'm sorry about inviting him like that without your permission… I know you hate the attention Kotal and a certain someone else give you…"

Jade settled her book down.  
"I really don't… hate it it's just… I've got no time okay? I've got so many scholarships on the line… boys are just… not in the crystal ball for me right now."

Kitana smirked and leaned a bit closer.  
"Well whose advances would you accept if you had time?" She asked curiously.

Jade smirked.  
"Well--"

Suddenly someone popped his head in from behind the bookshelves.  
"Thought I would find you girls here!" 

Jade eyed Kitana worriedly, then the intruder.  
"Liu Kang!"

Kitana's eyes widened as she unnoticeably fixed her headband and hem of her shirt before turning to him.  
"H-hey."

"Hey hey! Sooo… whatcha up to here?"

Jade blinked a few times.  
"Here… at the library… Gee, I don't know practicing pole vaulting." 

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  
"Right uhm… That was a stupid question." 

His gaze met Kitana's and he casually grazed her wrist with his hand. "Kitana, can I… borrow you? For a second?"

Kitana glanced at Jade then back at Liu Kang.  
"S-sure I--... Is there anything you need?"

"I'll tell you elsewhere if that's okay." He said with a charming smile.

"I… Okay… Guess so…"

"You're a life saver." He said cheerfully as he took her by the hand and led her out of the library.

Jade crossed her arms and smirked.  
"Huh…"

Everyone at this school knew Liu Kang and Kitana were the star-crossed lovers who kiss at the very end of the fairytale… but she was surprised he was finally making a move--.

"Well isn't this convenient…" Someone said slyly.

Oooor it was an elaborate plan by his best friend to get her alone...

Her eyes closed in frustration.

She turned to their resident class clown, her arms crossed already.  
"This is low. Even for you."

Kung Lao's eyes widened.  
"Whaaat I didn't even do anything yet!"

"How the hell did you even get Liu Kang to help you?! He was always against your desperate pursuits!" She yelled earning a glare from the librarian. "Sorry…"

He moved a bit closer to her, no ulterior motives, just so his whispers could be heard.  
"This year… I invoked bro code." He explained.

She blinked.  
"I… don't even know what that means but I'm outta here--"

"No! Wait I… I did this for something important."

She looked at him pitifully.  
"Fine, you've got 10 seconds."

He beamed and pulled out a small box with a white ribbon.

She eyed him suspiciously before opening it. Only to see a pair of really nice earphones.

"Sorry about ruining your other ones… Had to make it up."

She didn't suppress her smile.  
"They're… very nice, thank you… but what's the catch? What do you want in return?"

He shook his head proudly.  
"Nope. I owed you these…"

"Surprisingly noble of you, Kung Lao… after all these years you still surprise me." 

He smirked and l clasped his hands behind his head.  
"Mhhhmmm… though if you'd like to give me something in exchange of that noble, expensive gift I wouldn't discourage it." He said, pursing his lips. 

"In your dreams, Kung Lao…" She said, turning to leave.

"Jade, Jade, come on!"

He quickly stepped in front of her, ending up a bit closer than necessary.

He seemed to swallow his tongue from the close proximity. 

He bit his bottom lip.  
"This kind of electricity can't be one sided…" he husked.

And for a split second she could have sworn he was right.

Only a split second though.

She raised her brow at him and tilted her head.  
"Can't it be?" She asked before pushing past him. "Because it just was. See you in class."

Kung Lao stood there, bewitched, before slumping in the library chair, hand over his heart. 

~~~

After a brief search for Kitana and culprit number 2, Jade found them chatting by the lockers.

So adorable… too bad she had to rain on the parade.

She stomped over to them and glared at Liu Kang.  
"Nicely coordinated little plan there."

Liu Kang practically begged Jade silently not to accuse him.

"What?" Kitana asked quietly.

"He was a diversion for Kung Lao to get me alone." Jade revealed, annoyance apparent in her tone.

Kitana's face fell as she looked down at her shoes.  
"Right." She chuckled. "Of course he was, heh… why would it be anything else…"

"What the hell Liu Kang? You never played along!"

He grimaced.  
"Sorry, Jade… Bro code."

"I uuuh still don't know what that means. Anyway. Kitana, we're leaving."

"Yes please…" the brunette mumbled sadly.

"We can continue this conversation in class on Monday! I-I promise I'm not always distraction." He said with an awkward chuckle.

"Yeah… I guess…" Kitana muttered as a response before Jade dragged her off.

~~~

At last Kitana and Jade made their way to the ice cream place.

Jade pushed the heavy glass door, still fuming at the audacity.  
"I can't BELIEVE those guys!"

"Don't you hate it when men..." Kitana added sadly.

"Oh absolutely…"

The two of them searched for Cassie in the booths and found her at one of the nicer ones far off… Along with Frost.

"This'll be interesting…" Jade mumbled to Kitana. 

They made their way to the booth.  
"Heeey… girls!" Jade greeted.

Cassie smiled at them cheerfully.  
"Hey! Hope you guys don't mind being four wheels." She said with a chuckle.

"No, 'course not." Jade insisted as her and Kitana slid into the booth.

Jade's anger from before bubbled up again.  
"Honestly... us gals have to stick together…"

Frost laughed, energetic, seemingly for the first time ever.  
"I'll cheers to that… but what did Kung Lao do this time."

Jade groaned.  
"Is it that obvious?"

"You're this mad either when your A has a - next to it or when Kung Lao does… well… anything…" Frost deadpanned.

"Eh, whatever… could have been worse, at least I got earphones again." She said, showing off the new slick black and green pair. 

Cassie eagerly grabbed and inspected them.  
"I have these in gold and black. They're really nice."

Jade made a "not bad" expression and nodded solemnly.  
"Maybe men have some use after all."

The girls laughed heartily. 

Frost grabbed her bottle of water from her backpack and took a long sip, just when their waiter arrived.

"Oh, hey girls."

Said the oh so familiar voice.

The blue haired girl almost choked on the liquid.

Jade beamed.  
"Kuai, you work here now?"

"Yeah! Thought I'd contribute to the family business." He said modestly. "What can I get you, ladies?"

Jade tapped Kitana's arm.  
"Go first."

"I'll have the uh--"

"Hold on!" He said as he pointed at Kitana. "Blueberry milkshake."

Kitana chuckled.  
"How'd you know."

"We all grew up in this place, I basically know everyone's order." He said friendly.

Jade put her head in her hand.  
"Say mine then~"

"Heath Toffee."

Jade clapped.  
"You're good."

Frost rolled her eyes.  
"Bet you can't say mine…" She mumbled.

"Trick question. You're lactose intolerant, you get a lime ice tea." He pointed that out, writing down the order simultaneously.

Frost fumed quietly.

"Well I'm new! I'm a mystery~" Cassie said playfully.

He smirked.  
"I think I can guess."

"Give it a try, good sir~"

He pressed the pen against his chin thoughtfully.  
"Strawberry Banana."

Cassie's jaw dropped.  
"How?!"

Kuai shrugged.  
"Lucky guess." He said before leaving the table.

"What a great guy." Kitana started.

"Literally valid man of the year." Jade added.

"And so polite!" Cassie continued.

Frost groaned.  
"He's a fucking show off. Could have just let us say our orders and less time would have been wasted." She complained.  
"And besides--mmmmph!"

Cassie covered Frost's mouth with her palm.  
"Enough ranting! Please!"

Kitana, Jade and Cassie shared a laugh while Frost blushed in embarrassment.

After that they laughed some more at men's expense. With all four of them really enjoying each other's company.

Jade definitely reconsidered what she thought of Frost.

Used to think she's just an arrogant cold witch. When she's just an insecure people's pleaser… maaaaybe with some affection display issues.

Maybe the four of them will hang out more after this… 

Soon enough Kuai brought their drinks out, his hand lingering on Frost's glass for a second longer. 

Once he left, Frost grabbed her tea and slumped deep into her seat, sipping the beverage through the straw, bitterly.

Jade shook her head in disbelief, a small amused smirk on her face.

But instead of calling out Frost's bitter behaviour she turned the attention to Cassie.  
"So, Cass… first week in this new environment… How are we feeling."

"I genuinely love it, surprisingly." Cassie said confidently. "Most people have been absolute angels."

Frost snorted.  
"Emphasis on MOST."

Cassie rolled her eyes.  
"Don't remind me."

"You really showed that scumbag who's boss though." Kitana complimented.

"I had to! I don't take bullshit from people like that. Probably reads at 3rd grade level but thinks he's all that." 

"3rd grade? You're being generous." Jade joked.

"Does he pollute this place with his presence?"

As if on cue the door to the cafe was opened harshly and the trio of dirtbags walked in like they own the place.

Erron scanned the area and his gaze settled on Cassie.

That made an unexplainable chill run down her spine.

The corner of his mouth curled into a smirk before he broke the eye contact and sat at the bar along with his friends.

The atmosphere of the whole place changed once they walked in.

And Cassie hated that. Who the fuck did they think they were.

The group's cheerful conversation turned into occasional quiet murmurs as each of them sipped their drink.

Kuai approached them with an unreadable expression before crouching to talk to them.  
"Now I don't know what this is about but uh… Erron just payed for your table's drinks."

Cassie clicked her tongue.  
"How much was it?"

"27 dollars."

Without hesitation Cassie pulled out 30 dollars and handed it to Kuai.  
"Tell that asshole he can keep the change."

The boy nodded and returned to the bar and handed the cash to the Texan, relaying the message as well.

Cassie didn't even watch to see what his reaction was as she happily returned her attention to the girls.

Jade grimaced.  
"He's dragging you into some game, blondie…"

"Well… if I can't stay out of it…  
Cassie confidently took the final sip of her milkshake. "I'm gonna win it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave Kudos if you like it! And feel free to write comments about what you thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to the Google Doc with the girl's outfits
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

Jacqui Briggs had to admit that at first it was hard being the captain of their school's football team. 

The reason seems kind of obvious doesn't it?

You don't often see female sports team captains.

Her team members were especially skeptical since she was the coach's daughter. 

Some of them assumed nepotism was involved in the ordeal.

But she was quick to prove them wrong with her skills.

Now football practice or any period of time spent on their school's field was what she anticipated most when she attended.

If she was honest… she yearned for a fellow lady on the team.

She loved the boys with all her heart but GOSH she'd kill to kick ass with another girl.

So with the newbie suggesting that she'd join it, the captain was very excited. 

The blonde hadn't delivered on her promise yet but Jacqui was optimistic.

Though she'd have to hurry up considering the season starts soon.

Due to that, most of the free time she had before curfew was spent practicing at school.

Even lunch break.

Wednesday, second week of school she dragged herself and her best players on the field during the limited heavenly minutes they had before class ultimately continued.

She held the ball under her foot with a confident smile on her face.  
"Alright boys, try and take it." She said teasingly. 

For this small training session she assigned Hanzo and Kuai as the opposing "team", while Liu Kang served as her goalkeeper. 

Takeda blew into a whistle from the bleachers and their makeshift game began.

Hanzo tried to trap Jacqui, holding his arms out and stepping in whichever direction she stepped.

She tried to kick the ball away through the gap between his legs but he reacted quickly, catching it under his foot before running towards the goal.

Once close enough, he kicked the ball harshly, it flew and was about to hit the net when Liu Kang jumped and caught the ball in his hands.

"Yes!" Jacqui exclaimed before motioning for Liu Kang to kick it back to her.

He did so and Jacqui bolted in the opposite direction.

One aspect of the game in which she was clearly superior was speed. She rushed to the other net without Hanzo even catching up to her. 

She stopped herself before a mindless kick and thought back to some strategies her and Takeda discussed.

She picked her angle and kicked the ball… hard.

It soared through the air while spinning around its own axis before hitting the post…

…And bouncing off into the net, catching Kuai completely off guard.

Jacqui threw her hands and cheered. "WOO!"

Liu Kang ran over to her happily and they bumped chests.  
"Hell yeah!" 

Kuai was on the ground by the net, contemplating what just happened while Hanzo patted the victors on their backs.  
"Good going, guys, we'll get you now though, this was just a warm up." He reassured.

Jacqui chuckled and fist-bumped him.  
"Sure thing, dude… Now take five, boys, I'll be right back." She said before jogging to the bleachers.

Takeda got up and they shared a double high five.  
"That goal was incredible!"

"What the hell would I do without your physics, huh?" She said playfully, cupping his cheeks. 

Takeda shrugged. "Probably lose a bunch of important games, no big deal." 

She poked his chest.  
"Wasn't an invitation to boast, boy."

Takeda sat back down and Jacqui joined him, ravenously gulping down a bottle of water. 

"This is why you don't practice during lunch break." 

"Shush and give me my bag." She said with a chuckle.

He got her lunch bag from under the bleacher and picked a single grape off the bunch. "Catch."

She giggled and opened her mouth expectantly.

He playfully threw the grape and she easily caught it between her lips.  
"Score!"

He laughed and picked another grape before she stopped him.  
"Okay, okay, enough games I'm STARVING." She said as she took the lunch bag from his lap, retrieving her food from it.

His gaze lingered on her and a soft smile graced his face. 

He cleared his throat.  
"Jacqui I… I-I've been… meaning to tell you something."

Her eyes widened and she swallowed her food before inquiring.  
"Tell me what?"

He rubbed the back of his neck shyly, his face turning a subtle crimson.  
"I… You… Well--"

"Helloooo there, party people!"

They were suddenly interrupted by Cassie storming onto the field and up the bleachers to them.

A wide smile spread on Jacqui's face.  
"Hey! Thought you'd be at the cafeteria during lunch." 

"Eh, normally I would be buuut I had some business to attend toooo~"

Takeda chuckled.  
"You sound excited."

"Only because~ I went to the administrator's office annnd~... You're looking at your newest team member!" Cassie shouted.

Jacqui basically jumped from her seated position and gave the blonde a tight hug.  
"Cassie, oh my God! I'm so excited to have you on the team!"

"Excited to be on it."

Takeda smiled up at them from his seat.  
"You're gonna be good luck, Cass."

She finger-gunned him with a wink.  
"You know it." 

The blonde looked towards the field and raised an eyebrow.  
"Why the hell is Hanzo giving Kuai a piggyback ride?" She asked, cracking up.

Jacqui glanced over at them and clicked her tongue.  
"Probably workshopping their chicken fight/football hybrid." She whistled at them. "Hey, softies, come greet our new team member!" 

Kuai jumped off Hanzo's back and they, along with Liu Kang, ran over to the bleachers.

Cassie chuckled as they approached.  
"I have to know who came up with that piggybacking idea."

Kuai shrugged.  
"It was a late practice day, we were all delirious."

"But how did it work out just then?"

Hanzo stretched and groaned in pain.  
"Fun for whoever is being carried, excruciating pain for me." He admitted.

Liu Kang rolled his eyes before turning to Cassie.  
"So you're joining the team?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Yeap! Heard I'd need extracurricular credit and I thought which one I would enjoy most so I remembered your offer!" 

"One! Of! Us! One! OF! US!" The guys chanted excitedly.

Jacqui shook her head and turned back to Takeda.  
"Hey, you were gonna say something."

His eyes widened.  
"Oh! That uhm… it's… not important, it can wait." He said with an awkward chuckle.

"You sure?" She asked with a worried expression.

He smiled at her. "Positive."

When the two of them turned back to the rest of their company, they were mock-knighting Cassie, using an iron rod from under the bleachers as a knighting sword. 

~~~

After they replaced the lunch break with that impromptu football practice, the stars of the team returned to class… most of them hungry and not particularly ready to be scolded by Professor Raiden for being a minute or two late.

Cassie slipped into her seat next Frost.

"Where were you?" Frost asked without looking away from her book.

Cassie chuckled.  
"You sounded like the wife of a cheating husband right then." 

Frost glared at her before resuming her read.

Cassie drummed on the desk.  
"I joined the football team."

Frost perked up and opened her mouth to say something.

"I'm not spying on Kuai for you, Frost." Cassie warned.

The blue haired girl slumped back in her seat.  
"Traitor."

Cassie was about to retort when the teacher addressed them.

"Alright, everybody, I know last week I let you slack off because the school year just began--"

"Uhmmmm did we attend the same class?" Kung Lao asked loudly, earning a few chuckles from the class.

Professor Raiden glared at him before returning to his point.  
"--BUT starting this week we're getting serious. For today's assignment please pair up in groups of 4, each desk with the desk behind them." 

Behind Cassie and Frost were the girls Cassie got to interact with least during her first week at the school.

Skarlet and D'Vorah.

The redhead smiled wickedly as Cassie and Frost faced them.  
"Finally, we get to properly meet the new school hero." She said with a thick accent Cassie could only identify as 'Eastern European'

According to what Cassie heard. Those girls were pretty introverted and neutral despite their bold appearances, 

Though what she found interesting about Skarlet wasn't her vampiric style but that she used to hang out with the Black Dragon clique…

Per Frost's tales, dated Kano from 6th to 8th grade, Erron in 9th and 10th… then got burned hard and stopped hanging out with them.

Cassie smirked at her. She could definitely get some dirt on the trio through her, just in case she needed it for whatever game the rejects have planned. 

"It's nice to finally have met everyone!" Cassie said cheerfully.

The redhead took her hand with a friendly smile.  
"Want me to read your palm?" 

Cassie blinked a few times.  
"Uh… No, thanks, let's just focus on the assignment--"

But Skarlet was already doing it anyway.  
"I see conflict… a lot of conflict coming your way."

Cassie snorted and looked at Frost.  
"Why am I like… not surprised."

"Oooh but also love… Very soon, at that." The redhead whispered. 

"See now that's-- more-- of a surprise…" Cassie said awkwardly.

~~~

After that Cassie insisted on resuming the assignment and soon enough they were done with it, though the completion was parallel to the bell ringing. 

And as everyone exclaimed "FREEDOM!" in their minds, they all dispersed into the corridors.

"Got any extracurriculars today?" Cassie asked Frost curiously.

"You insist on knowing my schedule still…" Frost complained.

"Geez I was just wondering! Why is talking to you like stepping onto a minefield?" Cassie expressed with a chuckle.

"Sorry I'm new to this… being nice… thing…" 

"You'll get there." The blonde reassured.

"If you must know… yeah… I've actually got my favorite extracurricular today."

Cassie laughed. "Didn't know you had a 'why men deserve less' class."

Frost laughed… genuinely.

That's rare.

"I wish… it's actually photography."

"No way!"

Frost nodded.

"Wouldn't have thought of you as a photographer." Cassie admitted. "Can you snap a few good pics of me then?"

"Absolutely not."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty pleaseeeee."

"You're annoying."

"That's the poiiiiiiint."

Frost sighed and checked her watch.  
"Shit, I better go get there. Don't get lost."

Cassie snorted.  
"I'll do my best. But that conversation about my photos isn't over." She said while pointing a finger at Frost.

With that they parted ways and Cassie went to her locker to get her cardigan, only to see somebody leaning against the one next hers when she closed it.

"Hey, Princess…" the sly Texan said with a smirk. 

She looked him up and down with contempt.  
"What do you want?"

"Nothin'... Bubblegum?" He offered.

She suspiciously eyed him before taking it.  
"What's this about, Black? Will this gum explode? Will your dUdEbRoS jump out of the lockers and yell that I got pranked?"

He raised his hands defensively.  
"I'm just here for a truce. Take it as a peace offering, will ya?"

She snort-laughed and stepped away from her locker.

He followed her and she very much disliked the silent pursuit out of the building and towards the car that was meant to pick her up… but for some unknown reason... didn't tell him to back off.  
"Jesus… No truce needed. We're not at war. Have a nice day."

"Not at war? Up for debate."

She whipped around to face him, expression enraged.  
"Will you not stalk me, please?"

He sighed.  
"Look… I think we started out on the wrong foot here… that's not how you should have been introduced to this school… Sorry for what happened at the parking lot."

"Apologize to Frost, not me." She said coldly.

He shrugged.  
"Well then sorry for what happened during history class..."

She crossed her arms, frustration apparent.  
"Why the sudden change of attitude?"

"Can't a guy feel sorry for what he did?"

"Guys like you? Definitely not."

Erron took a step closer to her.  
"What makes you think you know me, Barbie doll?" He whispered.

She took a step forward of her own.  
"Please. You're a walking cliche."

He moved closer still.  
"Get to know me better, I just might surprise you."

She blew a bubble in his face with the gum, making him flinch.  
"So far your audacity has been the biggest surprise." She sassed.

"My audacity gets things done."

"Compensating much?" 

"Don't need to."

"Now you're just bragging."

"I'm kind of enjoying this cross-fire…" He said playfully.

"Masochist--"

Just then her chauffeur poked his head out of the car.  
"Is this man bothering you, Miss Cage?"

Her eyes widened.  
"Not at all! Uhm… my friend was just leaving, right?" She said, glancing at Erron.

The Texan smirked.  
"Yeah… Sorry for the hold up, sir." He returned his attention to her. "See you later… friend." He husked with a wink before pushing past her. 

She exhaled shakily.  
"Major. Trouble." 

~~~

Photography was the one extracurricular Frost didn't let be polluted by her constant strive to be on top… ironically, she WAS on top at the end of each year in this class... despite not trying as hard.

Huh… Some lesson there to learn… But she chose to ignore it.

She especially liked that they worked with Polaroids.

Something about freezing a moment in time and having a physical copy of it within seconds was really soothing.

The downside was being given enough material for 5 photographs. So they had to make it count.

Though she preferred landscapes and inanimate objects, today the teacher encouraged them to search for fellow students going about their business, maybe catch them fidgeting or doing some characteristic quirk of theirs.

Frost thought it was dumb. Most of the students went home already and those who didn't wouldn't appreciate cameras shoved in their faces.

But maybe that was part of the challenge… Finding the inspiration and snapping a shot incognito.

Well, backing down was certainly not an option so Frost went on a search for the remaining students on the school grounds.

Among them was Kitana whom she found while the brunette was fixing her sapphire blue headband.

Timing the shot, Frost made it seem like the girl was fixing a crown on her head.

A smile curved on her lips.

It was a nice picture. 

She moved along hoping to get some options for which she would turn in.

She stumbled upon a goldmine as she noticed Baraka bench pressing Mileena as Tanya and Rain cheered.

Frost chuckled and snapped a shot of what was happening from afar before moving along, managing to get 2 more great shots within the next half hour.

Urgh… she wished she could relax like this during other classes… not hyper-fixated on outdoing the golden boy.

Speaking of whom… 

Kuai was sitting on a bench, picking through the Polaroids in his hands. Huh… Guess he wanted options too.

The serious expression on his face was just priceless… for… whatever reason… that she couldn't put a finger on.

Hey… the rules don't say that they can't photograph each other… right?

She raised the camera and snapped a shot.

It whirred and out came the laminated piece of paper.

She waved it around, letting it develop, before taking a look.

Yeap… a work of art.

The photo of course! Not… him… specifically, she thought to herself.

She ran her index finger down the photograph. 

Then it hit her.  
"What the hell am I doing…" she whispered, shoving the photo into her bag, away from the ones she would turn in. 

But while she was there, might as well try and get under his skin. 

She crossed her arms and walked over to him.  
"Ahem."

He looked up from the photos in his hands and smiled.  
"Hey."

"Did you get shots worth turning in?" She asked directly.

He tilted his head.  
"What's it to you?" 

She shrugged.  
"Assessing the competition, obviously."

He slumped back in his seat.  
"Aren't you tired, Frost?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She claimed, shrugging.

He sighed. "Well if you must know… then yeah, I got some good ones."

He smirked and turned one of his photos over only for her to see herself, smiling brightly as she looked at one of the shots she took. 

Frost's eyes widened.

"How the hell did I not see you…" She groaned as she snatched the picture from him.

"What do you think of it?" He asked hopefully.

It was a great photo… Though she'd never admit. 

She gritted her teeth.  
"It's nice I guess." 

Or maybe she will… damnit, Frost, you're turning soft.

"Really?" He asked, surprised.

She sighed.  
"Yeah. I'm not biased. If something is good I'll say so… Even if it's from you I guess." She admitted with a shrug.

"That was… a little backhanded... but thanks!

She kept looking at the picture, swaying just a bit as she focused on it.

And he noticed.  
"Have it. It's not the one I'm gonna turn in anyway." He offered kindly. 

"No thanks." She said before shoving the photo back into his hands and stomping off.

He sighed.

A step forward… two steps back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always the link to the Google Doc for the girls outfits 
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

The weekend rolled around and first thing Saturday morning, Jade made her way to Kitana's house to get ready for their day at the mall.

They were lounging in the latter's room as the former rummaged through her closet, holding the cute tops and dresses up to her body and assessing herself in the mirror.

"Blue really doesn't suit me…" Jade said with a sigh.

Kitana looked up from her phone and clicked her tongue.  
"Sure it does! Jade, you could pull off a potato sack." She complimented.

Jade giggled and threw one of the tops at Kitana.  
"Stooop, oh my gosh!"

"Well, it's true! And I've got at least 2 guys who would back me up on that." Kitana shot back playfully.

The brown haired girl rolled her eyes as she shoved everything back in the closet.  
"Do you HAVE to bring them up?.. Speaking of, though, did you talk to Liu Kang after that whole coordinated operation?"

Kitana put her phone aside and sighed.  
"No… I've kind of been ignoring him."

Jade pouted.  
"Baby, no…"

"I just can't help but feel like… He only talked to me because his friend needed help."

"Did he TRY to talk to you after that though?" Jade asked curiously.

"Well, yeah… But as I said I was ignoring and avoiding him."

"That wasn't necessary…" 

Kitana furrowed her brows.  
"You really think so?" 

"I can only imagine how guilty the poor boy feels." Jade grabbed Kitana's phone and offered it to her. "Text him."

The brunette's eyes widened.  
"Wh-what? I can't!" 

"Come ooon, that'll let him know that you're not mad anymore."

Kitana hugged her knees to her chest.  
"I can't! What if he's not worried in the first place and I'll just bother him."

Jade shoved the phone in her hands.  
"Then bother him!"

Kitana groaned.  
"Fine! Urgh… What do I say?!"

"Hey is a good place to start." Jade said sarcastically.

The brunette bit her lip as she typed out a friendly "Hi!"

A minute or so passed and her phone dinged.  
"This is crazy, I was just thinking of you :P" Liu Kang texted back. 

Jade smirked and nudged her friend.  
"Thinking of you, ay?" 

"Oh, shush it."   
Kitana chuckled before replying to her classmate "I read your mind then 😌"

"That you did 😉."

He continued typing "Hey I know I already said this but sorry about the whole library thing that was… yikes"

"No big 😊" Kitana assured. 

"So why did you text me?"

The brunette's eyes widened as she turned to Jade.  
"Oh my god why did I text him?!"

"Jeeesus, Kitana, relax." Jade's face brightened as she thought of an idea. "How about you offer him to come to the mall with us today!" 

"WHAT?! Are you CRAZY?!"

"OKAAAY, Juliet, volume down! Just trying to get you closer to Romeo."

"Jade, I'm not doing that." 

"Then I am!" The brown haired girl said as she snatched Kitana's phone out of her hands. 

As the latter struggled to get her phone back Jade typed out the offer.  
"Me and Jade are going to the mall today, was wondering if you wanna come 👉👈"

"JADE DELETE THOSE EMOJIS, WHAT THE HELL! I don't chat like that!"

"It's exactly how you chat, shut up."  
And it was too late as the "send" button was already pressed.

With that Jade allowed Kitana to grab her phone back, pouting angrily.

"I gladly would but promised to go out to eat with Kung Lao :l" 

Kitana circled back to Jade.  
"See? He's busy and now it's officially awkward."

Jade rolled her eyes.   
"It has been awkward since 1st grade with you two." She sighed. "The things I do for friendship… Tell him to invite Kung Lao too."

Kitana's eyes widened but she nodded solemnly, accepting her friend's sacrifice.  
"Kung Lao should come too! We can eat at the food court."

"Wouldn't Jade kill us all? 😬😬😬"

"Nah we're all friends here."

"He will be excited to hear that 💀"

Kitana told him the place and time before putting her phone aside.  
"So… That happened." She said.

"You're welcome, by the way." Jade mentioned cockily.

The two friends giggled and suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Mileena peeked her head in with a friendly grin on her face.  
"Twinsie! Twinsie's bestie!" 

Kitana rolled her eyes.  
"Uh oh, she's being nice, here comes a request." 

Mileena gasped dramatically.  
"You accuse your dear sister of ulterior motives when she simply comes in to check on your well-being?!"

"Yeap."

"... Okay fair enough." Mileena plopped down on Kitana's bed. "Mom's leaving for one of those speed dating events and I REALLY want the house for myself and my squad so could you two like… disappear for a bit?"

Kitana and Jade eyed Mileena, their faces unreadable.

"Pretty pleaaaaaase~ With a cherry on toooop~" Mileena begged in a sing song voice.

Kitana clicked her tongue.  
"We're going shopping anyway, house is all yours."

"Yay! About time you updated your wardrobe--"

"We're about to stay just to spite you."

"Okay okay I'll shut up!" Mileena said hurriedly.

~~~

Hours passed and the two best friends arrived at the mall in an Uber.

They spotted Liu Kang and Kung Lao waiting at the entrance.

Kitana started hurriedly fixing her hair and the hem of her skirt.

Jade noticed and whispered. "You look great." To her friend.

They approached the two guys and Liu Kang smiled widely once he saw them, going in for a hug which Kitana awkwardly reciprocated.

Jade smiled at them happily. About time they got closer, she thought. She had to admit she was suspicious of that for a long time but the two of them just feel… Right.

She put her poker face back on as she turned to Kung Lao.  
"Hey."

"Not how you greet friends…" He said with a smirk, opening his arms.

She snorted.  
"So you accept that we're just friends?" She shot back while giving him a quick hug.

His eyes widened.  
"Wait, no--"

"Ah ah ah, too late." She joked.

After the greetings they made their way inside and the girls subjected Liu Kang and Kung Lao to several hours of shopping torture. 

Though the two of them picked out some cool shirts too and Kung Lao bought another cap to add to his collection.

In a formalwear atelier Jade tried on a dress, but couldn't seem to find Kitana near the changing rooms to help her zip it up.

Kung Lao looked up from his phone and his eyes widened.  
"You look… WOW." 

"Thanks, but where the hell is Kitana? Have you seen her?"

"Think she's trying out something too, why?"

Jade groaned and struggled to reach her hands where the zip was stuck.  
"I needed her help with the dress." She whined. 

He rubbed his hands together.  
"My time has come."

"Absolutely not.

He clicked his tongue.  
"Jade. Jokes aside. I'm not a creep, I'll just help you with the zip."

She sighed and turned around.  
"Okayyy."

He walked over to her and easily zipped the emerald dress all the way up.  
"All done."

"Thanks." Jade mumbled before checking herself out in the full body mirror.

She turned back to him, hands on her hips.  
"So how do I look?"

He bit his bottom lip.  
"Like the girl I have a crush on… Oh, wait!" He joked.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but chuckle.   
"If I were to make a Venn diagram of your humor and things that would make me blush the two circles would be in separate rooms."

He blinked.  
"Uh… Very specific comparison."

Just then Kitana and Liu Kang left their respective fitting rooms, their dress and suit matching nicely.

They stood back to back and struck a dramatic pose.

Kung Lao whistled.  
"Look at Mr. And Mrs. Smith over there." He joked.

Jade chuckled.  
"I know it's too soon to decide what to wear to prom but you two should DEFINITELY consider these fits."

Kung Lao leaned over to whisper.  
"Implying that they go together…"

Jade motioned for him to shut up.

Liu Kang rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  
"Yeah… Maybe… We'll uh… We'll see."

Kitana smiled at him timidly as he caught her gaze.

The sweet moment was interrupted with a loud groan from Kung Lao.  
"Guys, can we go grab food now? I'm about to throw a tantrum."

"Oh no, man-child on the loose, we can't let that happen." Jade mocked. 

The three changed back to their everyday clothes and left the atelier after putting everything back.

The food court was packed but they were able to find a free table. The boys ordered an amount of food that seemed inhumane to Jade and Kitana who each got a milkshake a regular fast food meal.

Jade grimaced as she took a sip of the milkshake.  
"Urgh, the ones at Sub-Zero's are so much better."

"I think I swallowed a chunk of ice just now…" Kitana added sadly.

Liu Kang decided to change the subject.  
"So… What's everyone's plans for college?"

Kung Lao groaned.  
"Not this conversation."

"Speak for yourself, some of us have a future." Jade joked.

Kung Lao stuck his tongue out.  
"SoMe Of Us HaVe a FuTuRE."

Jade stuck hers out right back at him. 

"I think I'm gonna go somewhere with an international relations faculty. Wanna get into politics." Kitana said matter of factly.

Kung Lao snorted and ruffled her hair.  
"Baby, you're too shy for politics."

"That's true… I haven't decided 100%... But if I do go that way It'll be a means to open up more." She explained.

"I think I'll go into psychology." Jade added.

Liu Kang turned to Kung Lao.  
"Before you say it, she probably won't have you as a client."

"... Dang it."

Jade chuckled.  
"I'll have anyone who NEEDS it as a client."

Kitana nudged Liu Kang.  
"What about you?"

He shrugged.  
"Not sure yet… Probably wherever my friends go just to stay with them."

Jade smiled.  
"You're too good for this world, Liu, too pure."

Kung Lao offered his glass for a toast.  
"Cheers to not knowing what the hell we're gonna do with our lives."

Liu Kang chuckled and clinked his glass against his friend's.  
"Hear hear!"

Kitana giggled and joined in.

They all looked at Jade expectantly.

"Come on, babe, join our futureless gang." Kung Lao said.

She snorted and clinked her glass as well.  
"Cheers."

They continued eating and chatting and sharing laughs and soon enough noticed through the glass ceiling that it was dark out.

Kitana's eyes widened.  
"Oh shoot, I should get home now."

"Same, I gotta get a ton of TA work done." Jade complained.

"I'll drive you guys home." Liu Kang offered.

"I call shotgun!" Kung Lao said excitedly.

They left the mall and all got into Liu Kang's car.

Kung Lao in the passenger seat, as decided, with Jade and Kitana in the back.

They dropped Kung Lao off first, then Jade.

Then after a tense, quiet ride finally reached Kitana's house.

"Thanks so much." She said with a polite smile.

"Let me walk you to the door."

"Oh… Sure." She said with a giggle.

They made their way out of the car and walked slowly to Kitana's porch, facing each other at the bottom of it.

"Today was great." He said happily.

"M-mhm…" She hummed, trying not to blush too hard.

Whatever was happening was just too… movie-like.

"Thanks for inviting us… I know the two of you like to hang out alone most of the time."

Kitana mentally thanked Jade for being the one to make this happen.  
"You're welcome… I'm glad that… you came, Liu Kang." She managed to mutter.

He looked somehow relieved as she said that… And she could have sworn he started leaning in… 

Just then the front door of the house flew open and Baraka, Rain and Tanya rushed out, blasting George Michael's "Careless Whisper" from Tanya's phone.

The latter groaned in disappointment and turned to Baraka and Rain.  
"Goddammit, guys, too soon! They weren't kissing yet!" 

Kitana's eyes widened her blush going from shy to straight up embarrassed.  
"Wh--"

Mileena appeared at the front door as well, shoving her friends back in and away from the embarrassed duo.  
"Ooookay, we're leaving and we totally weren't spying on you two from the windows, nope!"

The group disappeared back inside, leaving Liu Kang and Kitana alone again.

He shoved his hands in his pockets.  
"Well that was… Awkward…" He said with a chuckle. "Let's acknowledge that now and… Move on."

Kitana sighed.  
"I'm sorry about that… Sometimes I wish the four of them didn't share a single brain cell." She said, crossing her arms.

"I'd say our whole class shares one brain cell… And most of the time Jade hogs it." He joked with a hearty laugh.

She laughed back and the awkward atmosphere dissipated.

She coughed.  
"Okay I think I'll go inside now… Getting pretty chilly."

"Yeah, sure…"

"See you on Monday."

"Of course."

With that they parted ways, both turning back at their respective doors, waving at each other shyly… Before Liu Kang drove off.

She closed the front door of her house.. and slided down it with a sigh.  
"Great timing, Mileena."

~~~~~

While the day was full of adventures for Kitana and her friends outside the house, it was just as adventurous for Mileena, indoors.

Once Jade, Kitana and their mom left, she blasted her favorite music loudly and took to making some snacks for herself and her friends while swaying her hips to the rhythm of the tune.

The brunette barely heard the knock on the door, especially with her friends arriving sooner than she expected. 

"Coming~" Mileena shouted, shoving a maraschino cherry from the fistful in her hand into her mouth before hopping over to the door.

She opened it and Rain let himself in unceremoniously.   
"Smells heavenly in here." He pointed out.

She gestured to the cherries in her hand, implying that they're the source.  
"Want one?"

He plucked it from her hand and popped it into his mouth.  
"Legend has it whoever can twist a knot with the stem in their mouth is a good kisser." He leaned in and wiggled his eyebrows. "Can you?"

She smirked and booped his nose.  
"Wouldn't you wanna know…"

He chuckled and moved along, sitting on one of the bar stools around the kitchen island. 

Mileena loved the friendship the four of them had. She constantly flirted with all of them and they flirted back and with each other as well. She found it very healthy, none of them made it weird. She especially feared that after she came out to them as bi in sophomore year… But she was worried for nothing, their bond only grew stronger with the truth out.

Though none of them knew she secretly admired someone outside of their friend group as well… and wasn't sure if anyone would be jealous when they found out. They knew how amorous and flirty she was.

She tried not to worry about it too much though, as she didn't take romance very seriously anyway… 

"Where are Tanya and Baraka?" She asked.

"Getting something from his car."

She chuckled.  
"And you didn't help?"

He raised an eyebrow.  
"Baby girl, they've got a collective 4 arms. They can handle it."

"Deliciously egotistical as always, Rain."

He winked.  
"You know it."

Rain tried to grab a few chips from a bowl on the counter only for Mileena to slap his hand away.  
"Not yet!"

He pouted sadly. Earning pity, she offered him another cherry.

He put the whole thing in his mouth including the stem and pulled out a neat knot.  
"Would you look at that..." 

She snorted.  
"And what do I do with this information?"

"Do whatever you want."

Just then Tanya and Baraka barged in with pillows and blankets in their hands as well as several additional bags in Baraka's.

Tanya smiled brightly at Mileena.  
"I'm here! Your day just got better!"

The girls kissed each other on the cheeks, then the pale skinned brunette stared at the pillows.  
"I hope you know this isn't a sleepover."

"Yeah, yeah, but I thought we could all snuggle during the movie~." Tanya said sweetly.

"That's freaking adorable."

Baraka carried the stuff to the living room, earning cheers from Tanya and Mileena, taking that opportunity to flex just a bit.

He didn't mind being the muscle of the group especially when he didn't go unappreciated.

They carried the snacks over as well before settling to watch a movie. 

Tanya and Rain under the same blanket on the couch, while Baraka and Mileena took the floor with the latter between the former's legs.

One of Johnny Cage's movies was on and Rain clicked his tongue.  
"Can't believe his kid is in our class."

Mileena paused the movie.  
"Yeah, speaking of which, opinions on the new girl?"

"She's pretty badass for standing up to the black dragon scumbags." Tanya noted.

"Agreed. If she needs back up…" Baraka started, hitting his fists together. "... I'll definitely be there."

Rain rolled his eyes.  
"As if. Mileena offered her my damn seat, yeah, yikes for that by the way."

"Sorry, boo."

"Offered her my damn seat... but she chose to sit with the frigid bitch."

Tanya chuckled.  
"Frigid bitch… Fridge…" 

The joke earned a weird look from the other three.

"... Come on that was funny!"

Mileena returned to the subject.  
"I think she's cool… I'm thinking of convincing her to host this year's annual class sleepover…" She said mischievously. "She probably lives in a whole mansion."

Rain smirked.  
"Mileena, you're a genius." 

"I know, I know."

They resumed watching the movie and it's sequel and once finished, just huddled together, finishing off the snacks.

Tanya perked up.  
"We didn't finish this discussion. Last year of high school… Which class ships are endgame?"

"Takeda gotta man up and ask Jacqui out already, I'm tired of that slow burn." Mileena complained. 

"Do you think Jade will hold that 'strong, independent woman' flag until the very end?" Rain asked. 

Mileena shrugged.  
"Homegirl has the class president crushing on her but won't go for it. I think her decision is final"

"Boooring!" Tanya booed. 

Rain clapped his hands.  
"Can we all agree that Frost's little hatred towards Kuai is a crush?"

Mileena raised a brow.  
"Whaaat? No way. She'd offer a bounty on his head if she could."

Rain clicked his tongue.   
"That's not the type of head she wants from him."

Tanya and Mileena burst out laughing.  
"Ew, oh my GOD!"

Baraka tried to participate in the conversation.  
"What about Cassie?"

The other three eyed each other thoughtfully.

"Good question." Tanya noted.

"Don't kill me… but I'm feeling some tension between her and he who must not be named."

"Erron's playboy ass? No way." Mileena disagreed. "He's a test to any woman's sanity. We saw what happened to Skarlet. And Cassie seems like she doesn't fuck around." 

"I'm with Rain on this one." Tanya butted in. "The hate/love possibilities? Urgh, retweet."

He cupped her jaw in his hand lovingly.  
"Great minds think alike~."

Tanya chuckled before moving her head out of his grasp.  
"I'll be right back, guys."

Tanya jogged to the kitchen to get some water, opting for the purifier near the window.

Once she approached it, she saw silhouettes in her peripheral vision.

She looked out to see Kitana and Liu Kang chatting sweetly.

The brunette gasped.  
"Mileena! Get your ass over here!"

Mileena and subsequently Rain and Baraka rushed over to where she was and witnessed the cuteness outside the window.

Mileena smiled happily.  
"Oh my Gooosh, my baby sister!!! Look at her!!!" She exclaimed, endeared. "I didn't know she was out on a date."

"Get my freaking phone!" Tanya ordered Rain.

"Yeah I wanna take a picture too!"

"Picture? I wanna put some romantic music on for them!" 

"... WHAT?!"

~~~~

With that the events of earlier unfolded, despite how hard Mileena tried to prevent her friends' unconventional affection methods.

Maybe these 4 aren't like the stereotypical mean group after all...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always the Google Doc for the girl's outfits 
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

The month of September was nearing its end and the seniors couldn't help but feel like their final school year was breezing through like the chilly evening wind that became colder and colder the nearer they got to the second month of autumn. 

"Alright champions…" Jacqui started as she gathered her teammates around her desk in between classes. "Final season where I'll be captain… We gotta make it a good one." She said seriously.

Cassie chuckled.  
"First AND last season where I'll be participating, so you bet your ass it will be."

Jacqui and Cassie high-fived each other.  
"I like the confidence, blondie… Today's gonna be our first serious practice."

Liu Kang's eyes widened.  
"So all these previous ones weren't serious?!"

"They were child's play." Jacqui sassed with a snap of her fingers.

The captain turned back to Cassie.  
"You in, right?"

"Hell yeah I am! Finally gonna meet Coach too!" The girl said excitedly. "He's cool, right?"

Jacqui smirked.  
"The coolest… Coolest coach… coolest dad."

Cassie blinked in surprise.  
"Wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on… The coach is your dad?!"

Kuai poked her arm lightly.  
"You didn't know Coach Briggs was Jacqui's dad?"

"No!"

"It's okay, you'll definitely see the family resemblance once you meet him!" Jacqui said with a chuckle.

Just then the class bell rang and Miss Cetrion walked in, ushering everyone back to their seats.

Cassie definitely enjoyed her classes the most. The woman in her mid thirties taught biology and seemed passionate about being a good teacher.

She wasn't as strict as Mr. Raiden, not at snarky as Mr. Fujin and GOD definitely not as creepy as Mr. Shao Kahn or Mr. Shang Tsung. 

She assigned everyone a quick project to finish with their deskmate by the end of the class and settled on the window frame with her legs crossed, admiring the autumn weather outside.

Halfway through class, Mr. Fujin peeked his head in and greeted the students with a small friendly wave, which was returned with quiet murmurs from the guys and girls.

"Cetrion, just a moment." He said apologetically.

The woman turned to the class.  
"Behave, kids, I'll be right back."  
And with that, made her exit.

Cassie rested her head in her hand and turned to Frost.  
"Wanna come to the football practice today? Cheer me on?"

Frost eyed Cassie like she was crazy.  
"Uh… Hell no, I wouldn't want my hair to go grey."

"You're insufferable, hope you know that." Cassie grumped.

"Cass, those practices are long and boring as hell. You have been warned."

"Right. It's clear why you don't wanna come anyway."

Frost rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah, and? Mr. Perfection makes my lungs wanna spontaneously combust, just trying to avoid that slow, painful death." She said hatefully.

Cassie laughed.  
"You are so dramatic, it's ridiculous."

Suddenly something hit the blonde on the back of her head.  
"Ow!"

She looked at the ground to see what exactly it was and noticed a small paper airplane.

Cassie growled and whirled around to see where it came from and realized that the genius trio, the three bastard musketeers were launching them nonchalantly.

She grabbed the one that hit her off the floor and stomped over to their desk at the back of the classroom.

Erron gave her his signature smirk as he cheerfully shot another one through the air.  
"Cassandra… To what do we owe the pleasure?"

She pointed at the airplane in her hand.  
"Why the hell did you throw this at me?"

He clicked his tongue.  
"We're just launching them in a general direction, sweet cheeks, this daring plane just happened to hit you." He said innocently.

"Yeah, Riiiight. Aha." She responded sarcastically, clearly unconvinced.

Erron raised a brow.  
"What do you want now? For me to unfurl it and give you a written apology? Personal space violation again?" He mocked.

She crumpled the origami and with a swift pull of his collar, shoved it down his shirt.

Making everyone who observed laugh. 

He snorted but she could tell he was containing some anger.  
"My oh my, Cassie, if you wanted to see under my shirt, you could have just asked…" 

Her face burned a bright red as he said that and just when she was about to respond, the teacher returned.

"Miss Cage? Any reason why you are wandering through the classroom."

"N-no, ma'am…" She mumbled before returning to her seat, throwing one last glare Erron's way.

Him getting her into trouble was becoming a pattern and she didn't like it.

~~~~~

The class bell rang which meant it was time for Cassie's first serious football practice. 

She mentally prepared herself before going to join Jacqui, Takeda, Hanzo, Kuai and Liu Kang at the school's spare exit.

"Cassie! Wait up!"

A high pitched voice called out. 

She turned around to see Mileena and Tanya trying to catch up to her in their heels.

"Hey, babe, can we talk to you for a moment?" Mileena asked.

Cassie looked back at Jacqui and company waiting.  
"Uhm… I'm kind of… in a hurry."

The two girls clung to her arms, looking at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Please, Cass, it'll only take a minute!" Tanya assured.

"Ooookay? Sure, fine."

The girls squeaked excitedly before dragging her off into a nearby broom closet.

Cassie eyed them suspiciously.  
"Uhmmm… What is going on?"

"Look… Every year since 7th grade our class has held a sleepover at one our houses as a way to bond or whatever… And of course to stir some much needed drama. Since you're new and well… let's be real, loaded as fuck, we thought maybe we could hold it at your place this year? You only provide the location! Our squad plans the invites, date, time and activities so you don't even have to worry about it!"

Cassie blinked a few times… Taking it all on.  
"Wow…"

Tanya smiled brightly.  
"So what do you say?"

"I… O-okay? Sounds fun, yeah."

Mileena and Tanya let out an ear-piercing squeal of excitement.   
"This. Is. Gonna. Be. Legendary."

Cassie watched as the two celebrated and swifted awkwardly.  
"Can I like… go now?"

"Oh, yeah! Have fun during practice! We'll text you deets." Mileena said with a trained friendly smile. 

"Sounds good."

With that Cassie left the duo in the broom closet and reunited with Jacqui and the others.

They walked to the field where the coach was already waiting. 

Jacqui dragged Cassie towards him by her hand.  
"Dad! Meet Cassie. The newest addition to the team!" She said excitedly.

The older man turned to them and smiled solemnly.  
"Pleasure to meet you, Cassie."

"Pleasure's all mine, sir."

"Hope you're ready for some hard work… My girl over here doesn't go easy, not even on newbies. She goes harder than me, sometimes." The coach said with a chuckle.

"Oh my gosh, dad, stop!"

"It's true! You've made those boys over there what they are today!" He said proudly, pointing over at the rest of the team.

"Can't take all the credit." Jacqui complimented while fist bumping her dad.

"Okay, you two, go change and join the rest. We've got work to do."

~~~~~

Hours upon hours of excruciating work later…

Cassie. Couldn't. Feel. Her. Legs. 

She didn't think the human body could take so much running.

When the practice finally came to an end the sun had long set and everyone was winded beyond reason.

Besides Jacqui. The girl was like a damn robot.

"Woo! Good practice, you guys."

Hanzo tiredly nudged Kuai who was laying face first in the grass.  
"I think Kuai is dead…" He deadpanned.  
"You killed my best friend…"

Cassie hugged her knees to her chest as she too rested on the ground.  
"This was… intense."

Liu Kang sighed.  
"Best part is it's over… for now." He shuddered.

Jacqui chuckled at their state.  
"Okay, okay, I admit this was a bit overkill, but you guys! First game of the season is NEXT. WEEK."

Cassie groaned as she got up from her seated position.  
"Yeah… and if you'll excuse me I'll go home and sleep until the game." She joked.

Everyone went to the bleachers to get their bags and Cassie's brows furrowed as she grabbed her phone and looked at a text from her dad.  
"Dammit…"

Jacqui noted her mood change.  
"What's wrong, Cass?"

"Mom and dad had to attend some premiere and our chauffeur drove them… He won't be able to come get me home."

"Want us to drive you?" Jacqui's dad offered generously. "Where do you live?"

"Northern Avenue, where the gated communities start… Don't think you can drive me there, sir. Restricted entry, it'll be a whole mess… Plus I don't think it'll be a comfortable route for you."

Jax nodded.  
"Yeah… Well, we had to offer…"

Cassie smiled appreciatively.  
"Thank you."

The rest of the team overheard the conversation.

Kuai put a supportive hand on Cassie's shoulder.  
"Sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah, as long as my legs don't fall off I'll be able to just walk there."

"Why not call an Uber?" Hanzo asked.

Cassie rolled her eyes.  
"Dad doesn't let me get in cabs, Lyfts or Ubers." She sighed. "So yeah… It's just me and my feet now."

~~~~~

Google maps shamelessly lied to Cassie by indicating that it was a 40 minute walk from the school to the gated community where her mansion was.

Because she honestly felt like she has been walking for hours.

Her feet were killing her and barely carried her weight anymore. She must have looked like a zombie.

If that struggle wasn't enough, as she rounded a corner she was suddenly confronted with 3 all too familiar faces, half covered with respirator masks as they spray-painted on a very VERY important looking building.

Kabal noticed her and laughed before nudging Erron. 

Whose eyes somehow brightened at the sight of her.  
"Well look who it is…"

"Of all the street rats I could have ran into…" Cassie mumbled.

"What's a princess like you doing out at this hour?" Kano asked.

"Seems like none of your business."

The Aussie shrugged and shook the bottle of paint in his hand before resuming the painting. 

Kabal eyed her up and down.  
"You look like shit." He said bluntly.

She glared at him.  
"Why thank you… I call this look I-ran-for-5-hours-straight."

"Oof. First football practice?" Erron asked.

"Ding ding ding…" She sounded off unenthusiastically.

She tried to move past them but Erron grabbed her arm gently.  
"Stick around for a bit." 

"Why in fresh hell would I do that?"

"No offense, sugar, but you seem like you'll fall apart any second now."

She groaned.  
"Fuck… You're right." She leaned against the part of the building wall she made sure was paint free. "I'm so fucking tired…"

Erron snorted and continued spraying maroon paint on the grey wall.  
"Public school experience ain't all sunshine, fun and games like in the movies?"

Cassie rolled her eyes.  
"Shut up…"

He took the respirator off and grabbed a coke bottle out of the bunch the trio had and offered it to her.  
"Here."

She eyed the bottle and then him.  
"The catch?"

He clicked his tongue.  
"You really are an ungrateful brat."

"Okay, damn! Sorry! Geez…" she took the drink and downed it ravenously. "...Thank you."

He smiled a genuine smile but quickly hid it under the thick respirator.

"Yo, Hollywood, rate our art." Kabal said with a chuckle.

Cassie backed away from the building and assessed the painting.

She didn't know what the symbol with the two dragons and a sword meant but… looked cool.  
"Sick." She said with a nod.

Erron smirked at her.  
"Wanna add your initials? We already painted ours on it."

"Seriously?" She questioned.

"Yeah! We're feeling kind today."

Cassie bit her bottom lip. She has always wanted to try spray painting. Even if it was just a small symbol or letter.

She swayed awkwardly.  
"Well… I'm not part of your squad so it wouldn't be appropriate."

Erron laughed and pinched her cheek.  
"You're so cute."

Her face turned a deep shade of red at the weird compliment.

"Come on, CC." Kano insisted as well.

"CC! CC! CC!" Kabal cheered. "Sounds a bit weird once you say it a lot, doesn't it?" He mentioned.

The corner of Cassie's mouth curved into a smile.  
"I can't believe I'm doing this." She muttered as she took the can of paint.

Erron smirked.  
"Attagirl."

He hoisted her up by the waist, earning a cute, surprised squeak from her. 

She quickly scribbled her initials with the paint.  
"Done!"

Erron put her down just as easily as he held her up.  
"You weigh nothing." He commented.

She rolled her eyes.  
"We can't all be muscular."

Kabal snorted.  
"You just called us muscular."

"I… I'm tired, okay? D-don't quote me on things I say right now…" 

They all laughed heartily… But the cute moment was interrupted with distant sirens.

Erron's eyes widened.  
"Oh shit-- Cops!"

"Cops?!" Cassie repeated in disbelief.

Kabal and Kano took off in the direction of the trio's motorcycles.

Erron turned to Cassie.  
"I know you're tired, baby girl, but you're gonna have to run with me."

"I-I--"

Before she could respond, he grabbed her hand and ran off.

Seconds later they arrived at his parked motorcycle. He hopped on it immediately.  
"Get on." He ordered.

"What?!"

"Look, I know, we're adversaries at best, but you're gonna have to trust me right now." He explained frantically.

"I can't-- I don't--"

The sirens were becoming louder, making it hard to think.

She groaned and climbed on, clinging to his midriff for her dear life as he rode off.

She has never been on a motorcycle before. And even if she wanted to, these DEFINITELY weren't her preferred circumstances.

Though… a part of her felt really safe, holding on to him.

Soon enough they lost the cops and arrived at what seemed like an abandoned bar. 

"What… is this place?" She asked.

"Our hangout." Erron explained.

Kano pulled on the rusty chain link fence, letting the rest of them through before shimmying in himself.

They entered the abandoned building which looked a lot better on the inside. Sparsely decorated lounge, illuminated with purple LED lights.

"Welcome to our humble abode." Erron said.

The bar stand, though big, had only a few bottles of alcohol on it. Probably all they could get their hands on.

Kabal plopped on one of the beanbags in front of the modest flat screen TV. 

Cassie chuckled.  
"Okay… Have to admit… This place is actually kinda cool." 

Erron snorted.  
"You hear that, boys? We live up to her standards. I say we celebrate."

She crossed her arms and was about to come back with a remark of her own… but he was actually dead serious.

He got behind the bar stand and picked up a half empty bottle of Jack Daniel's off the shelf. 

He mixed it with some coke in a glass and sipped happily.

She settled on the stool across him.  
"You know you're not old enough to drink, right?"

Erron clicked his tongue.  
"I'm an adult, sweetheart."

"You're not 21." She said strictly.

He rolled his eyes.  
"Thanks for reminding me, MOM..."

"No worries, son." She joked.

"...Okay that was weird."

She chuckled softly.   
"I'll have to agree… So… How'd you guys discover this place?"

Kano settled on the stool next to her to tell the tale.  
"We were out riding our harleys when we spotted it… It had a sign that said it was set to be demolished… We called the phone number attached to the sign of the demolition service and told them the 'owners' changed their minds… We didn't think it would work but turns out people are stupid. The End." He explained. 

"Wow. Riveting." She said sarcastically.

"So why were you on foot out there? Don't you have like 14 million bodyguards that could have taken you home?" 

She sighed.  
"Our chauffeur had to drive my mom and dad to an event… It was my fault too, I didn't think practice would take that long."

Kabal snorted from across the room.  
"Welcome to the Edenia high soccer team."

"Ignore him. He's still pissed they kicked him off."

Cassie sucked in a breath.  
"Yikes."

"Big yikes." Erron agreed.

"But why though?"

"Wouldn't attend those ridiculously long practices."

"It was their loss." Kabal shouted from across the lounge. "I was their fastest player."

"Yeah, yeah, die mad." Erron joked.

Cassie laughed. 

Oh wow. Was she genuinely enjoying their company right then?

Time to bolt.  
"Okay unless you guys want me to fall asleep right here on the floor, one of you lads better get me home."

Erron grabbed his keys.  
"Come, I'll give you a ride."

She snorted.  
"That's what she said."

Erron did a double take.  
"Shocking revelation. Blonde babe has a sense of humor."

"First of all, ew, don't call me that and second - better than yours I reckon."

He rolled his eyes and gently pushed her out of the bar.  
"Let's go, comedian."

She waved Kano and Kabal goodbye.

Once Cassie was out of earshot, Kabal turned to Kano.  
"That sly sonuvabitch can actually make her fall for him…"

"I didn't doubt it. Once Black plans something, he doesn't back down… When all is said and done, she won't even know what hit her." 

The two boys cackled and high fived each other.

Outside, Erron and Cassie walked to his motorcycle, without a hurry this time and he took the time to give her a helmet.  
"Safety. Not taking anymore chances." He mumbled.

"Thanks…" She whispered as she strapped the buckle of the helmet in.

Erron took her palm in his and helped her hop on the vehicle.

She wrapped her arms around his waist once again.

He looked back at her with a smirk.  
"Comfy, huh?"

"Mmm…"

"Just don't fall asleep, okay?"

"Can't promise anything…"

With that he rode off. 

Cassie couldn't put a finger on it, but there was something really pleasant about the ride.

The wind whirred against her skin and the lights of the town blurred from the speed of the motorcycle.

A car ride was never this pleasant and memorable with the constant tinted windows, the only lights bright enough to see through those being the flashes of the paparazzi cameras. 

But this… This felt like a new type of free.

Before she knew it they arrived outside the high gates of the community she lived in.

"There you have it, sugar." He said, taking his helmet off.

She removed hers as well and easily got off the vehicle.

Now… What does she say?  
"Uhm… Thanks for getting me home in one piece."

The corner of his mouth curved into a smile.  
"No need to thank me, missy."

She furrowed her brows.  
"Don't-- act like that…"

He raised a brow, clicking his tongue curiously.  
"Like what? In a way that doesn't fit your impression of me? Ultimately proving you wrong?"

"...Yeap, exactly." She admitted nonchalantly. 

Erron snorted.  
"No can do, Princess, I told you I might just surprise you."

She rolled her eyes.  
"I guess you're not as gross… as I thought… or rather… being gross isn't… your ONLY personality trait."

He chuckled.  
"I'll take it."

They looked at each other quietly for a few seconds… before he revved up the motorcycle again.   
"See you tomorrow, Cassie…" 

"See you…"

He drove off and she stared after him… Until he was out of her line of sight.

"...I need to sleep this out."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Longest chapter so far y'all. Just a heads up imma be updating the outfit Google Doc with the outfits from this chapter as well as the outfits for guys later on but yeah here it is as always
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

On the way to Sub-Zero's Frozen Treats, the day after Jacqui's torturous football practice, Cassie was explaining why she looked like a dump truck ran her over to Frost.

As well as… the events that transpired after. 

"Back up, hold on, you ACTUALLY… WILLINGLY got on his motorcycle?" The blue haired girl asked with a disgusted look on her face.

"I had no choice! We had cops on our tail, it was intense and I was panicking." Cassie admitted with a pout. 

Frost groaned.  
"And then you let him take you home… URGH, barf." She said, fake retching. 

"He owed me that much! After I was nearly an accomplice to their vandalism. And I would have passed out from exhaustion if I had to walk THAT distance as well…" Cassie whined.

Frost cackled.  
"I kinda regret not coming to that practice…It's hilarious how it fucked you all up."

Cassie side eyed her friend.  
"God, Frost, since when are you such a sadist?" She asked while pushing the glass door of the diner open, wincing in pain. "...Ow."

"Why are we here anyway? You know my schedule is fucked on Thursdays." Frost said, crossing her arms.

"Relax, it won't take long, Mileena and Tanya just wanted to meet in a quieter place to discuss the date and time of that class sleepover...thing."

Frost's eyes widened.  
"YOU'RE the host?! Cassie, that event is a mess each year. There's a fight every single time, some unnecessary drama is brought to light and overall just… Ew, too much kissing."

Cassie smirked and nudged Frost.  
"Sounds like my kind of event."

Frost fake retched… Again.

The two slipped into one of the comfy booths as Kuai Liang tiredly approached to serve them.

Frost smirked up at him.  
"Oh wow… You look miserable." She pointed out bluntly.

Kuai threw a glance her way as he pulled out a small notebook and pen.  
"Thanks for noticing, I am." He said sarcastically. 

Cassie chuckled.  
"I thought I was the only one wiped out after yesterday's practice."

"Cass, the only one who leaves the practice thriving is Jacqui. Get used to it." He joked. "Anyway, can I get you anything?"

"Kuai, you're doing too much, you need a break." Cassie insisted before patting the space next to her. "There's not many tables to serve right now, take a seat."

Kuai Liang sighed in relief. "Really?"

"Huh?!" Frost questioned.

Cassie pointed a finger at her.  
"Zip it." She turned back to the boy. "Come on, Kuai."

He smiled and slumped down, throwing his head back in exhaustion.  
"Thanks, Cass."

"Yeah, she's just such a saint, isn't she?" Frost mocked bitterly. "Her next charity event is hosting this year's class sleepover for all of us peasants."

Kuai's eyes lit up excitedly.  
"You're hosting it?" 

Cassie nodded.  
"Apparently. Mileena asked me to and I felt like I wouldn't hear the end of it if I said no." 

"Trust me. You wouldn't." He reassured. 

"I thought so… But I still want to please everyone as a host. I'm not completely sure if my parents will allow this yet but I want us to have fun at the indoor pool."

Kuai Liang glanced uneasily at Frost.  
"Uh oh."

Cassie raised an eyebrow.  
"What?"

"You're gonna tell her or should I?" He asked.

Cassie perked up.  
"Tell me what?"

"Shut. Up. Kuai Liang." She said through gritted teeth.

He rolled his eyes.  
"Frost doesn't--"

"FINE, okay! I'll tell her… I don't… knowhowtoswim." She mumbled.

"You what?" 

"Urgh! I can't swim!" Frost admitted.  
"My pediatrician used to say it would be a good exercise for my asthma but my family never went to the beach and the idea of public pools made me want to throw up so I never learned. There. You can laugh now."

"Why would I laugh at you?" Cassie asked.

"I don't know… it's funny, a grown ass 17 year old can't swim. Haha."

"Whoever laughed at you for that is a fucking idiot." 

"No one has… Yet… mainly because no one knows, besides you two."

The blonde looked at Kuai with a raised brow.  
"I'm just curious how YOU found out."

"She didn't tell me, I deduced." He explained.

Cassie snorted.  
"Clever boy." She turned back to Frost "It's okay though, plenty to do at our pool besides swimming. You can just relax on a beach chair or try dipping your toes in the water."

Frost shrugged.  
"Mkay… Thanks…"

Kuai chuckled.  
"See? It's not as laughable as you think it is."

"I'm not admitting that you were right." 

He smirked.  
"You just did."

Just then Mileena and Tanya entered the cafe like they owned the place and beamed as they saw Cassie.

"Okay, I guess they're here to discuss the details." Kuai Liang assumed. "I'll leave you to it, if you girls need anything, let me know."

"If yOu gIrLs NeEd aNyThInG, lEt mE kNoW." Frost mocked as he walked off. "...Jerk."

Mileena and Tanya approached the booth and plopped down next to the two girls..  
"Cassie, honey, thanks for agreeing to this." Mileena said excitedly once again. 

"My pleasure. So, what's the plan?"

Mileena rummaged through her bag and pulled out a bunch of examples of beautifully printed invitations.  
"We have a few options for these, whichever you choose, you'll just need to tell me the address so I can write it down on them. It'll be on Saturday and starts at 2 pm."

Cassie's eyes widened at the intricate font and lace lining of the different colored invitations.  
"Oh WOW… You guys take this sleepover seriously, huh."

"Duh!" Tanya said with a chuckle. "It's sacred, plus this year is the last one. Gotta make it count."

"Which design do you like?" Mileena asked.

Cassie tapped her chin thoughtfully as she looked over the pastel invitations… and after a minute or so pointed at the sleek white and beige one. 

"Aww, no pink." Mileena said with a pout.

"But can we get everything ready in two days?" Cassie asked, changing the subject of the invitations.

"Of course!" Mileena reassured. "Food and drinks are on us, we know everyone's allergies in class. We have activities that we do annually, your typical truth or dare and movie marathon. Unless you have an activity to offer?"

Cassie smirked and leaned in to whisper.  
"Have you guys ever had a pool party at the sleepover?" 

Mileena and Tanya glanced at each other and squealed loudly, earning the attention of everyone in the diner.  
"Cassie, oh my God, that has always been our DREAM." Mileena confessed.

Cassie leaned back smugly.  
"Well, fairy godmother Cassie is about to make it come true."

Tanya gasped.  
"We'll have to mention bringing a swimsuit in the invitations."

"Oh my God, you're right!" Mileena exclaimed.

The three of them giggled and high fived while Frost stared at them with a poker face.

Tanya pouted and pinched Frost's cheeks.  
"Come ooon, grumpy, turn that frown upside down~"

"DON'T touch me." Frost ordered, making Tanya back away immediately.

The girls discussed the rest of the details, figuring it all out soon enough and parting ways.

Cassie was excited and nervous at the same time. She didn't want the last one of these events to bomb because of her. But also she wasn't quite sure what she signed up for. Frost's words replayed in her head.

"There's a fight every single time, some unnecessary drama is brought to light…"

Yikes… if a fight takes place and something breaks in the house, it wouldn't end well for her.

A part of her wants to back out now... but then again Frost could be overly pessimistic as always.

"Come on, Cassie, you agreed to this already, no backing down." She told herself.

The next day every one of Edenia High's seniors found a neat enveloped invitation in their lockers.

It was the main topic of murmured discussions in class that day. 

Everyone agreed that a pool party could be a success or an utter disaster. They would have to wait and see which one it'd end up being. 

~~~~~ 

Their wait was swift as Friday rolled into Saturday seemingly in a blink.

The host has been making preparations since 10 am. Jacqui, as well as Takeda arrived early after volunteering to assist the blonde in setting everything up.

"Thanks again for the help, you guys." Cassie said gratefully.

"You're welcome, Cass." 

"Why the hell did they order so much food though?" Takeda complained as the three of them stared at 4+ tables of food that they unpacked in Cassie's living area.

"Seems less than last year." Jacqui said with a chuckle. "At least we have space for it all." 

"True." Takeda agreed. "As much as I'm not a fan of Mileena and her gang they really go above and beyond for this thing." 

"They're not so bad." Cassie muttered. "Annoying at most." She added with a chuckle.

Jacqui and Takeda settled the final plates and glasses down and the three of them marvelled at the completed tables.

"So… Is that it?" Jacqui asked.

Cassie shook her head.  
"The delivery guy brought some box too but I have no idea what's in it."

They turned to the large box on the ground.

"... A bomb?" Takeda whispered.

Jacqui raised her brow at him.  
"Takeda, what the fuck?"

Cassie cautiously opened it and her eyes widened.  
"Is that… A firework launcher?"

"Seems like it." Jacqui confirmed.

"Those girls got me fucked up if they think we're setting off fireworks in my backyard."

Takeda checked the price tag and whistled.  
"I don't think they'll take no for an answer."

Cassie whined.  
"My parents will MURDER me."

"Come ooon, Cass, who's gonna tell them?" Jacqui said playfully.

"No one really…"

"It'll be a beautiful end to the night." Jacqui whispered as she daydreamed about it.

"...Hell, why not."

Cassie checked her watch. 1:53 PM.  
"Yikes. People will arrive soon, I better go change."

"We'll wait for you downstairs!"

Cassie quickly hopped up the marble stairs, leaving Jacqui and Takeda alone.

"Hey, you wanted to tell me something last week, you never did!" 

"Huh? Oh! Yeah I-I…"

Takeda looked into Jacqui's excited glistening eyes. 

God she's so beautiful.

His chest tightened. He wasn't ready. What if she didn't reciprocate and he ruins her whole day?!

But then again he can't keep putting it off.

Just spit it out! You've been in love with her for years, it'll be too late soon!

"Sooo?" She asked again.

"I uh… I forgot to be honest."

Goddammit.

Her face fell.  
"That's a bummer. Well, tell me when you remember!" 

He gulped.  
"Will do."

A few minutes passed and Cassie returned to the living area.  
"Hope you guys didn't miss me too much!"

"Oh, absolutely, we were about to call the police." Jacqui said sarcastically. 

Cassie was about to respond when the loud doorbell echoed in the house 

She gasped quietly.  
"Someone's already here!"

She rushed to open it and the first to arrive were the brothers, Bi Han and Kuai Liang, as well as the former's girlfriend - Sareena.

"Hey, guys!" 

"Hey, Cassie. Thanks for the invite." Sareena said with a small smile.

Noticing her boyfriend's silence, she quickly nudged him.

"Ow!... Yeah… Thanks." He mumbled coldly. 

Cassie stepped aside and let them in and Kuai Liang walked in right after them.

"How the hell are you two related?" She asked with a chuckle.

Kuai shrugged.  
"Hell if I know" 

Cassie looked him up and down and purred jokingly.  
"Someone cleans up nicely."

He smirked.  
"Why thank you, so do you."

The boy looked around awkwardly as he stepped in through the door.  
"So uh… Where's Frost?"

Cassie raised a brow.  
"Not here yet, why?"

"Hm? Oh, no reason." He mumbled before going to greet Jacqui and Takeda.

Cassie disregarded that and joined the mingling.

Soon enough the doorbell rang again and Cassie bounced to get it.

She looked through the peephole and saw the black dragon clique.

She rolled her eyes.  
"Maybe if I don't open it they'll just leave…" She mumbled to herself.

Nah, Cassie, that's too harsh.

She begrudgingly opened the door.  
"...Hi."

"WOOHOO!" Kabal exclaimed as him and Kano barged in with crates of beer in their hands.

Her eyes widened.  
"Oh no no no! Erron, what the fuck?!" She confronted the last one to come in.

"Relax, sugar, the second crate is alcohol free beer." 

"Urgh, alcohol free beer is garbage anyway, why bother?!" 

"We've been bringing these since sophomore year's sleepover, nothing terrifying has happened yet, don't worry your blonde little head over it." He said, booping her nose.

"You little--"

Erron looked around curiously. "Nice digs, by the way." He complimented before following his friends.

Cassie sighed shakily.  
"This was a bad idea…

Steadily people flooded in.

After 20 minutes or so Kitana and Mileena arrived.

The latter jumped into Cassie's embrace excitedly the second she opened the door.  
"EEEK! Can't believe it's finally here! Honey, I can't thank you enough for hosting this event at this… this… CASTLE of yours." The brunette said in awe.

Cassie chuckled.  
"Thank me by not choking me, please." She requested.

Mileena loosened her grip and strutted into the living room to greet everyone including her squad who had arrived earlier.

Kitana laughed timidly.  
"Sorry about her."

"Kitana, you gotta stop apologizing on others' behalf." Cassie insisted before leading her into the epicenter of the party where people were mingling. 

She noticed Mileena and Erron whispering near the beer crates and couldn't help but walk over and eavesdrop.

"Thanks for handling these as always, honeybun~." Mileena said flirtatiously, her gaze on the alcohol. 

"No worries, little lady."

"We rarely get to do this with all the other events supervised by teachers and parents." She said, annoyance apparent in her tone.

"It's not a big deal, as long as some goody-two-shoes doesn't ruin it for us."

Mileena pressed her index finger against her plump lips.  
"I won't tell if you won't…"

"Nice doing business with ya, Princess."

Turning to leave, Mileena noticed Cassie and gave her a fleeting wink before walking off.

Cassie snorted and turned to Erron.  
"Thought I was 'princess'..." She joked.

Erron's eyes widened, pleasantly surprised at her reaction.  
"Aww, Jealous, huh? Want the nickname all to yourself?" 

"Yeah, right." She replied, rolling her eyes. 

He took a step closer.  
"Maybe I'll make it more exclusive...Just for you."

She clicked her tongue and turned her back to him.  
"Can't make a joke, can I?" 

~~~~~

Within the next hour or so almost everyone arrived safely, with Frost being the last to join them.

Cassie crossed her arms as she faced the blue haired girl at the doorstep.  
"You're late."

Frost looked at her apologetically.  
"I know, I'm sorry… To be completely honest I REALLY didn't want to come but then I remembered you were hosting the whole thing and felt bad so… Yeah."

Cassie's expression melted into an endeared smile.  
"You came for meeee?"

"Do NOT make it sappy, please." Frost said before letting herself in.

Cassie leaned in to whisper.  
"You wore a swimsuit under your clothes, right?" 

Frost blinked a few times, realizing her error.  
"Oops."

Cassie smacked her arm.  
"I told you to wear it regardless of swimming!"

"I forgot!"

"Urgh! Whatever, I'll lend you one of mine."

With that Cassie dragged Frost upstairs.

Back in the living room, people were chatting and taking full advantage of the tables full of snacks, comfortable furniture, home theatre system and game room.

Kung Lao saw Jade standing alone near one of the tables and approached her nonchalantly.  
"Fancy seeing you here…"

She blinked at him.  
"At a party… We were both invited to…"

"I--"

"You're really bad at this, you know?" She mentioned.

He sighed.  
"Okay… Take two… Liu Kang and Kitana are playing DDR in the game room. Wanna join?"

She smiled.  
"Sure."

He beamed and took her hand, leading her in the direction of the dimly lit game room. 

Jade, of course, could let go of his hand… But decided not to, she let him have that.

In the game room some of the guests were playing billiard, table tennis and throwing darts while Kitana and Liu Kang danced off on the DDR machine.

Jade chuckled and clapped.  
"Look at them go!"

Kitana happily hopped and skipped on the right arrows to the rhythm of the music, forgetting her shy demeanor for once.

"I'm taking you down!" Liu Kang shouted.

"Huh? Can't hear you over the sound of victory!" She shot back.

The final arrows made Liu Kang stumble, earning Kitana her victory.  
"Hell yeah!" She shouted, not even caring that everyone in the room was looking at her.

Liu Kang chuckled while catching his breath.  
"Alright, alright, you're the champion."

"Best of the best." She bragged.

Jade rushed over to her best friend.  
"Kitana, that was amazing."

The brunette chuckled shyly.  
"Guess I still got it after missing a year of cheerleading."

"They better be glad you're back!"

"You're on the cheerleading team again?" Liu Kang asked, surprised.

"Mhm."

"He's already imagining you going GIVE ME AN L… GIVE ME AN I… GIVE ME A U." Kung Lao joked, imitating a cheer routine. 

Liu Kang nudged his side painfully.

"Ow?!"

Just then Cassie peeked her head into the game room.  
"Guys, everyone gather at the staircase."

Kung Lao's face fell.  
"I thought we could go a round." He mumbled to Jade.

She patted his cheek.  
"Maybe next time."

Everyone made their way out to the main staircase to hear out Cassie's announcement.

"Okay… So I hope you all saw the swimsuit requirement in their invitations…" She started.

Everyone murmured affirmatively.

She rubbed her hands together excitedly.  
"Well then… follow me…"

Cassie led the group deeper into the house, to a large semi transparent door which she pushed open to reveal a vast pool lounge with a glass dome above it for the sun to flood in.

Huge pool filled with crystal clear water as well as a modest hot tub attached to it.

Beach chairs and a small marble bar with umbrellas, to sit at.

Gasps and whistles rang through the guests as they scrambled into the lounge, each finding their place whether in the pool, or the tub or on the comfy foldable chairs.

Mileena and her friends got into the pool immediately, splashing each other, their giggles echoing through the lounge. 

Jacqui, Takeda, Hanzo and Kuai took to playing with a beach ball. 

Jade relaxed on a deck chair as Kotal and Kung Lao tried to chat her up.

Kitana and Liu Kang dipped their toes in the pool as the former showed her something on his phone.

Bi Han, Sareena, Skarlet and D'Vorah settled in the hot tub in comfortable silence.

The black dragon clique rushed to the bar in hopes of finding some forgotten drinks there.

Cassie smiled proudly at everyone's good time.  
"This is going great so far, don't you think?" She asked Frost.

The latter shrugged.  
"Better than previous years, I guess."

"Will it kill you to spit out a normal compliment?"

"I don't know, but I'm not attempting it."

Cassie rolled her eyes and pushed her friend in the direction of the group who played with the beach ball.  
"Come on, pessimist, we're gonna teach you how to have fun."

~~~~~

A few hours passed and everyone pretty much got to enjoy every commodity of the lounge, so the words that would best describe how they were all doing right then would be "Chilling" and "Vibing".

Jade sat in the hot tub, breathing steadily, her eyes closed when she felt the water shift next to her.

"Kotal."

He moved a bit closer to her.  
"Hey… You seem relaxed."

She threw her head back.  
"Gosh, I am… For once."

He nodded.  
"Stressed over graduation?"

"Bingo. I've sent out every possible application and exam request, yet I feel like I'm not doing enough." She opened up.

He risked putting his hand around her shoulder, smiling softly.  
"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"If anything I'm not being hard enough… I've got only my achievements to rely on, some people have nepotism on their side."

"Okay, look, I'm not supposed to tell you this but being student body president has… made some connections. I can assure that your applications, if not immediately accepted, would be at the top of the list." He offered.

Jade's eyes widened and cheeks burned as she looked at him, most likely from the hot tub.  
"Kotal that's… That's awfully generous of you but I… I can't." She shook her head.

"Why not? It's really not a bother. I'd gladly do it for you."

Jade gulped.  
"I've gotten this far on my own. I'll just take a chance purely on my qualifications." She decided.

He squeezed her arm supportively.  
"As you wish, but just say the word and it'll be done."

She smiled softly.  
"You're too sweet..."

In the other end of the room Kung Lao observed what was happening, fuming.  
"Are you seeing this?!" He asked Liu Kang.

The latter rolled his eyes.  
"Daily reminder that she can talk to whoever she wants."

"I know… Doesn't stop it from absolutely sucking." 

He thought for a few seconds and smirked slowly.

"Oh no… oh no, I don't like that face." Liu Kang said, panicked.

Out of nowhere Kung Lao ran full speed to the pool.  
"Cannonball!"

He dove in, making a huge splash, drenching the duo in the hot tub.

Jade gasped and rose to her feet from the sudden cold feeling.  
"Are you INSANE?!" 

"Oops! Sorry, babe."

The brown haired girl groaned and stomped out of the tub to dry off.

Kung Lao earned a glare from Kotal but in turn flipped the class president off.

"Nice jump-in, dude!" Jacqui complimented.

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week."

Cassie laughed.  
"Ain't no way you're staying here for a week."

"Okay, fine, all day."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I think there's water in my lungs from that." The blonde mumbled before climbing out of the pool.

Everyone followed her example, ready to dry off from that sudden wave.

Cassie headed to the bar and settled on a pub chair next to Frost, who was on her phone with a disinterested look on her face.

"You absolutely refuse to dip your toes in, huh?" 

"Mhm." The blue haired girl replied.

"You're insufferable."

Suddenly Erron and Kabal appeared from behind the bar counter.

Cassie clicked her tongue.  
"Speaking of insufferable…"

"Beer, Hollywood?" Kabal offered.

She shrugged.  
"...Sure." 

Erron grabbed the bottle from his friend's hands and opened it before handing it to Cassie.

Their fingers touching momentarily.

"Only the best for our resident Princess…" 

She laughed as she took a swig of the amber drink.  
"I won't live that joke down, will I?"

"How can I deny you wanting to be treated like royalty?" He said sarcastically.

Frost looked up from her phone.  
"Your flirting is atrocious." She said bluntly.

Erron's attention shifted to the blue haired girl.  
"Hm… Frost… Isn't it weird how you've been sitting here during the whole party?" 

Her eyes widened.

Erron and Kabal glanced at each other knowingly.  
"Think you need to cool off." 

Suddenly the latter jumped over the counter and hoisted Frost off her seat, dragging her to the pool as Erron followed.

She flailed and tried to loosen his grip.  
"Let me go, asshole!" She shouted.

Cassie rushed after Erron.  
"You gotta tell him to stop!"

But the guy was just laughing at the sight hysterically.

All Cassie could do is stare in horror as Kabal dropped Frost like dead weight into the pool.

"Come on, Cass, it's just water!" Erron uttered through laughter. "Contrary to popular belief, Frost isn't ACTUALLY a witch, she won't melt."

Suddenly, someone shoved the prankster roughly, making him stumble.

"She can't swim, you fucking idiots!" Kuai yelled at Erron and Kabal before diving into the pool.

A second later he resurfaced with Frost clinging to him tightly. 

He climbed out and settled her down on the tiled floor. She was shivering like crazy and Cassie ran off to get her a towel.

Kuai shoved Erron again.  
"What the fuck is wrong with you, man?"

"Easy, bro, we didn't know she couldn't swim." He answered in a serious tone.

"It's irrelevant, who the fuck does that?!"

"Relax, no one is hurt." Kabal added dismissively.

Kuai grit his teeth.  
"Someone's about to be."

Kabal stepped forward.  
"Are you threatening me?"

Kuai took a menacing step of his own.  
"Call it a warning."

"What warning, pretty boy?" Erron asked, stepping between them.

"To stop messing with people who clearly can't give you an answer. Won't try it with someone your own size, huh, coward?"

"Oh, you done did it now."

Erron growled and threw a quick punch, which Kuai Liang barely dodged before attempting to knee the Texan in the stomach.

Kabal pulled Erron away from the receiving end of that kick while Hanzo and Takeda held Kuai Liang back.

"Guys! Guys, calm down!" Jacqui shouted as she stood in the middle with her arms extended to create even more distance between the two. 

"Yeah, let's all just not do things ONE of us will regret." He added angrily, shaking Kabal's hands off him. 

"Watch yourself, Black." Kuai Liang warned as he too calmed down.

The situation, thankfully, de-escalated after that.

Cassie knelt next to Frost as the latter recovered.  
"You okay?"

"I… I'm fine…"

"I'm so sorry, I should have stopped them."

"Those morons wouldn't listen to you regardless… Let's just move on, I don't want to ruin this for everyone." She murmured.

The prank victim dried herself off quietly, clearly deep in thought. 

"...You should thank him." Cassie mentioned.

Frost rolled her eyes.  
"I'll write him an email."

"Absolutely not, you're going to thank him NOW." The blonde insisted.

"Alright, alright!" Frost sighed and rose to her feet, walking over to her saviour with Cassie by her side.

Kuai Liang smiled at her.  
"Hey… Feeling alright?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm good… Thanks to you." 

"Wasn't just gonna let you drown."

She chuckled.  
"A lot of your problems would be solved if you did."

He tilted his head.  
"Frost. Come on."

"I'm kidding! What I'm trying to say is… Thank you... that was… noble or whatever."

He squeezed her shoulder supportively and her face turned a deep hue of red from the simple gesture.  
"Rivalry aside, If those assholes mess with you again, I got your back." Kuai said confidently.

She hurriedly moved his hand away.  
"I can take care of myself most of the time." She reminded.

He raised his hands defensively and chuckled.  
"No one said you couldn't." 

"Don't cause fights because of me. Firstly, I don't need it, secondly… You're… better than that…Better than them." She mumbled the compliment.

He smirked.  
"Huh… Noted."

"Don't let that get to your head." She hissed.

Frost and Cassie left his side and settled at the beach chairs.

"Was that so hard?" Cassie asked, laughing.

"Yeap, gratitude sucks." 

Just then Cassie noticed Kano sitting behind them and crossed her arms.  
"Such friend, your clique was catching hands over there and all you did was sit here." She criticized.

"Are ya kidding?" The Aussie started. "That fight was the most entertaining thing about this party so far."

"Just when I thought you three had redeeming qualities." She murmured.

As if on cue the two culprits shuffled over to them.

"The hell do you want?" Cassie confronted.

Erron nudged Kabal and the latter glared at him before sighing.  
"... We're sorry for throwing you in the pool…" He mumbled.

Frost rolled her eyes.  
"Say with more emotion~. Oh and say it simultaneously." She requested sarcastically.

The two boys groaned.  
"We're sorry for throwing you in the pool."  
They said at the same time.

She grinned.  
"Half-assed apology accepted."

The two scurried away, Kano joining them swiftly.

Cassie chuckled.  
"Didn't expect that.

"I'm feeling kind today."

"No, I mean I didn't expect them to apologize."

"Oh, that. Yeah, me neither. Erron probably initiated it to stay on your good side." Frost deadpanned.

Cassie snorted.  
"Yeah, right."

~~~~~

After the whole attempted drowning, everyone decided they've had enough of the pool.

They changed into the pyjamas they brought and settled on the couch and floor of the living room to watch a movie.

They all bravely decided on a horror film and the reactions varied through the group.

Some laughed at the "goofiness" of the effects like Cassie, Erron, Kano, Bi Han and Sareena.

Some pretended not to be scared when they were totally clinging to the pillows given to them like Frost, Kabal, Takeda and Rain.

Some were openly scared like Kitana, Liu Kang, Mileena and Tanya.

Some were unfazed like Jacqui, Jade, Kuai Liang, Kotal, Baraka and so on.

And some… Well, specifically Kung Lao… decided it'd be a good idea to pull the plug on the theatre system midway through the movie and scare the shit out of everyone.

It worked, as Mileena and Tanya screeched at the top of their lungs, while even the ones who were unfazed by the movie panicked a little.

The class clown walked back out from behind the flat screen, laughing heartily.

"Kung Lao!" Everyone yelled at once.

"Y-You guys… You sh-should have seen your f-faces right there!" 

"Dude I'm so close to kicking you out right now." Cassie said, holding her chest.

"I'm s-sorry, I couldn't h-help myself." He replied, still laughing.

"Okay, I'm establishing a rule, no more fucking pranks." The blonde announced.

They turned the movie back on and finished it, though by the end everyone was bored out of their minds. 

Mileena rubbed her hands together with a mischievous grin as she addressed everyone afterwards.  
"Alright, everyone… Time for the very MEAT of the event… Truth or dare… Come on, gather 'round." She ordered as she sat on the ground with crossed legs.

Erron raised a brow.  
"What are we? 10?"

"Come ooon, We're fishing for everyone's closet skeletons." She whispered.

The Texan sighed and settled down.

One by one everyone joined in.

"Not so friendly reminder that if I am dared to kiss anyone or asked romantic shit I will suffocate you with this pillow." Frost said, pointing at the one in her hands.

Erron nodded.  
"Seconded. That's some corny shit and it's making this poor child suffer." He joked, holding Frost's jaw.

She slapped his hand away.  
"Says the person who almost drowned me earlier."

"We said we were sorry!" Him and Kabal said in unison.

"Bold of you to assume we were interested in your love life anyway." Tanya sassed, earning a glare from the blue haired girl.

Mileena quickly grabbed her phone from the couch.  
"I already have all our names booted in this one app, since none of y'all ever have creative ideas." 

"I'm gonna get the remaining beers so people who refuse their turn can chug." Kano stated.

After that, Mileena pressed the randomise button under the player names.  
"Jacqui!"

The football captain perked up.  
"Yes, ma'am."

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare all the way."

Mileena nodded and pressed the corresponding button.  
"Oooh we're starting juicy. You have to French kiss your best friend."

Jacqui snorted.  
"Easy. Come on, Takeda." She said nonchalantly.

The boy's eyes widened.  
"Uuuh, what now?"

"You heard the dare gods! Gotta french kiss my best friend."

Hooooooly shit was all Takeda could think as Jacqui crawled over to him with a small smirk on her face.

"I'm not chugging that nasty beer, pucker up, baby boy." 

She cupped his cheeks and pressed her soft lips against his. 

Though stiff, he kissed back, his hands remaining at his sides awkwardly.

She parted his lips with her tongue, letting it roam his mouth curiously. 

Time stilled on his end, he wanted to appreciate this, savour it, even if this isn't how he foresaw their first kiss being.

A few people cheered and whistled at them. 

But Takeda couldn't care less. He finally found the courage to gently caress her arm when she abruptly ended the kiss.

"Like I said, easy peasy." Jacqui said with smug casualness as she settled back in her place on the ground. "Now Takeda's wearing my lip gloss, hope you guys are happy." She added with a chuckle.

"Someone's happy alright…" Kano joked crudely, handing Takeda a beer. "Here."

Takeda grabbed the bottle and pressed it against his heated face before taking a swig of it. 

"The Truth or Dare gods are satisfied." Mileena said dramatically.

She hit the randomise button again.  
"Frost~ Truth or--."

"Truth."

"Who would you least want to be stuck on an island with out of our bunch."

"Most of you seem like awful deserted island partners." She said with a sigh. "But the worst case scenario is probably Tanya." 

"Uhm, excuse you?"

"God you're so whiny, I'd probably just off myself on the first day." Frost admitted.

Tanya crossed her arms and pouted.  
"I'm not whinyyy." She… whined.

"See? Perfect example."

Everyone laughed heartily.

"Next upppp~..." Mileena started in a sing-song voice. "Erron."

"Skipping my turn, give me that beer." He said, happily reaching for the drink.  
"Cheers."

Cassie pretended to cough.  
"Chicken."

He threw a glance her way as he took a swig of the beer.  
"What did you say?"

"I said you're a chicken, chicken." She repeated with a smirk.

"Alright… Fine… I choose dare."

Mileena snorted as she read the text on her screen.  
"Swap an article of clothing with the person to your right."

Cassie's eyes widened and Erron got all up in her face smugly.  
"You hear that, sugar? Strip your PJs."

"I feel seriously attacked by your app, Mileena." Cassie said while getting up.

Erron slowly unbuttoned his pyjama shirt while staring her down as she crossed her arms and refused to take her crop top off.  
"Who's the chicken now?" He asked.

She clicked her tongue.  
"This couldn't have backfired any more." 

With one swift motion she pulled the top over her head while Erron finished unbuttoning the shirt.

Mileena leaned back and bit her lower lip.  
"What a great moment to be bi." 

Tanya nodded.  
"Hear, hear."

The two finished their top swap and Erron assessed himself.  
"Maybe crop tops are my new look." He said jokingly. "What do you think, Princess?"

"I hate you." She replied.

The oversized shirt made Cassie seem like she didn't have palms. 

They slumped back in their seats.

A few rounds later the randomizer picked Jade.

"Truth or Dare, smarty pants?"

"Dare, I guess." Jade shrugged.

"Kiss the tallest and shortest person in the room." 

"Aww that's a cute dare." She said with a smile.

She got up and walked over to Frost and kissed the blue haired girl's cheek.  
"Mwah!"

"Urgh, is avoiding any form of kissing impossible in this game?" She complained. 

"Just be taller!" Kung Lao joked.

"Shush." She ordered.

"And the tallest… Kotal?" Jade asked.

The boy thanked his height, internally.  
"That's me." He sounded off excitedly.

Jade giggled and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek as well.

Kung Lao seethed as he witnessed that.

"The fuck…" He whispered angrily.

"Just be taller!" Frost shot back for earlier, complacently. 

He shoved her face back with an annoyed groan.

They kept going. Liu Kang did a handstand. Kitana admitted that Liu Kang had the best ass in class. Skarlet confessed whether Erron or Kano were the better kisser. 

Spoiler alert: it was Erron.

Kung Lao had to recite Shakespeare to Kotal. 

Hanzo and Kuai Liang arm-wrestled.

And it was getting pretty late when Mileena hit the randomizer one last time.  
"Mileena-- oh GOD, finally." She giggled. "Someone do it for me."

Jacqui the phone out of the girl's hand.  
"Truth or dare?"

"Dare~!"

"Kiss the most attractive person in the room." 

"If I hear the word kiss one more time--" Frost mumbled. 

Tanya, Rain and Baraka leaned back with confident smiles, surely Mileena would pick one of them. 

To their and everyone's surprise, she moved over to Hanzo, whose eyes widened as she crawled into his lap, her hands on his broad shoulders.

"Uh…"

"Shh…" 

Mileena brought his face up to hers, kissing him softly. She wanted to do this for a long time. Just needed an opportunity.

Her friends' jaws hung open. 

What?! Since when?!

Mileena would deal with their anger later. 

For now, all she could focus on was the tender kiss that was being reciprocated, to her delight. 

She pulled away and giggled before pressing another quick kiss to the corner of his mouth and got off him after that. 

Everyone stared at her silently, including Hanzo.

"What?! You're gonna tell me he's not hot?"

"Okayyy, this game created a great deal more questions than answers, I say we close that app." Cassie offered.

The class murmured in agreement, getting up to go settle in their assigned guest bedrooms.

"Woah, woah, woah, guys before you call it a night!" The host pushed in the big box with fireworks. "We gotta launch these."

They moved the box out onto the pillared balcony and Erron, Kano and Kabal set the machine up according to the instructions.

"Let's countdown!" Mileena exclaimed.

The machine whirred, ready to launch the fireworks any moment now.

"3...2...1!" They counted down in unison before the night sky was illuminated with the colored lights. 

Everyone clapped and cheered and hugged in celebration of the successful event. 

Erron looked at Cassie who was smiling giddily up at the exploding colors. 

The corner of his mouth curved into a smile.  
"Not bad, Princess."

She turned to him and smirked back.  
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." 

"I'm glad you didn't kick me out for the thing at the pool."

She snorted.  
"Yeah… Me too."

They stared at each other for a few seconds before he cleared his throat.  
"We should probably switch our tops back."

"Yeap."

~~~~~

After all was said and done, everyone shuffled into the guest bedrooms, yawning and murmuring "goodnight" to each other.

Cassie let Jacqui, Frost, Jade and Kitana sleep in her room, assuming their company would be most enjoyable.

"Gosh… This was fun." Jade said as she climbed under her blanket. 

"Ditto." Jacqui sounded off. "Maybe we could still do this every year after graduation."

Kitana smiled sadly.  
"Everyone says they'll keep in contact after school but then they turn out busy when a get together is planned."

"That's true too..." Jacqui replied. 

"Can I tell you guys something?" Cassie asked.

"Go ahead." Jade affirmed.

"I don't know what will happen during the next 8 months but… I'm happy I ended up in a class like this... You guys are cool." She confessed.

"Oh no, she's getting sappy, pretend you're asleep." Frost said.

Cassie chucked a pillow at her.

"Ow! I'm just kidding!"

Jacqui squeezed Cassie's hand from over the bed.  
"What she meant was… She's happy you transferred."

Cassie smiled.  
"Me too."

Jade raised her hand.  
"Me three!"

"Me four." Kitana added.

"Me five." Jacqui laughed.

There was a knock on the wall.  
"Me six!" Kung Lao shouted from the other room, earning the girls' laughter.

"Someone's eavesdropping!" Jade accused.

Cassie sighed happily.  
"Goodnight, girls… Goodnight Kung Lao!"

"Night, ladies!" He yelled again.

With that went out the final lights of the house and everyone drifted into peaceful sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!KINDA IMPORTANT!!
> 
> A quick note, can we just pretend the popular American sport is soccer? I just don't understand American football to save my life so I really couldn't bring myself for that to be the sport 💀💀💀
> 
> Sorry for the long ass wait for this chapter y'all I was sick for a few days plus writer's block is a BITCH sometimes.
> 
> Anyway MORE IMPORTANT is that I updated the outfits Google Doc for this fic with ALL the guys' outfits as well as the girls swimsuits and pyjamas from last chapter.
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

All was still and peaceful on Sunday morning, after the seniors' successful sleepover.

The only thing worthy of disturbing the tranquility would be the cliche "Morning Mood" classical piece.

Alas, the quiet had to come to its untimely end when Cassie felt weight shift on her mattress.

Her tired eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was Mileena's face, smiling brightly down at her.  
"Morning, Cass--"

"AAAAAAAAA!" The blonde screamed, obviously startled by the girl who wasn't even sleeping in this room to begin with.

Jacqui sat bolt upright while Jade groaned and peeled herself off the mattress slowly.

"What's going on?" The latter asked.

"MILEENA, WHAT THE FUCK?!" 

"Relaaax, sweetie, deeeeep breaths!" 

"Deep breaths my ass why are you straddling me?!"

Frost audibly growled in her bedding as she grabbed a pillow and covered her face with it.  
"Everyone, shut uuuup!"

Kitana too awoke from the yelling, rubbing her eyes tiredly.  
"Mil, leave Cassie alone…"

"I have an urgent matter!" The other twin said dramatically.

Suddenly the door flew open and Liu Kang and Kuai Liang rushed in, Liu Kang holding a vase as a means of defense.

"What happened?! Is everyone okay?!" He asked.

Mileena sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.  
"Everything is fine, hero. You two can leave." She reassured.

"Hold up, what the fuck were you gonna do with that vase, Liu?" Cassie questioned with a raised brow.

"We heard you screaming bloody murder, we needed SOME weapon!" Kuai Liang explained.

"Now you know everything is fine." Mileena started."Soooo as pleasant as your shirtless bods are, shoo!" She ordered.

Someone else tiredly stomped into the room.  
"Who the fuck was screeching?" Erron asked, annoyed, before his eyes widened at the sight of Mileena on top of Cassie. "Oh damn… Hot."

Cassie's face contorted in anger as she pushed Mileena off herself who in turn yelped as she hit the ground.  
"Aaaalright, Liu, Kuai, Erron, out of the fucking room." 

"Bu--"

"NOW."

The boys scurried away.

Cassie got up, hands on her hips.  
"Jacqui, Jade, Kitana, Frost… Go back to sleep."

"On it, boss." Frost said sarcastically from under her pillow.

"And Mileena… What do you want?!"

The brunette beamed and grabbed Cassie's hand, leading her out of her room into the guest one across it. 

Tanya was filing her nails in bed while Baraka and Rain were still sleeping. 

She noticed Mileena and Cassie entering and excitedly hopped off the mattress.

Cassie crossed her arms as she faced the duo.  
"Okay, what is it?" She whispered, as to not wake up the sleeping boys.

Mileena gave Cassie her best puppy dog eyes as she clasped her hands together in front of herself pleadingly.  
"Can we give you a few things for your dad to autograph?"

Cassie blinked a few times.  
"THAT'S what you woke me up for?!"

Her classmates nodded enthusiastically.

"I mean… Yeah, sure, but my parents are gonna be back home in an hour or so anyway, you can give it to him yours--"

"EEEEEEEEK!!" Mileena and Tanya squealed excitedly, immediately waking up the boys.

Rain growled and removed his purple sleep mask.  
"Do I disturb you two when you're getting your beauty sleep?!" He asked accusingly.

"Sorry, baby." Tanya mumbled apologetically.

Cassie crossed her arms.  
"Anyway… Is that all?"

"Yes! Thanks again, Cass for… EVERYTHING." Mileena said gratefully. 

The blonde smiled at her softly before making her way to the door.  
"You're welcome."

Once out, Cassie contemplated returning to sleep but all this talking took the need right out of her. At this point she was fully awake.

Hearing commotion downstairs, she assumed some people were already up.

Might as well join them.

She skipped down the marble staircase and assessed who was out and about.

Bi-Han and Sareena were cuddling on the couch while the latter texted on her phone.

Kotal sat in one of the matching arm chairs, presumably doing some homework.

Skarlet was braiding D'Vorah's hair.

"Morning, you guys." Cassie greeted with a small wave.

They all murmured something in return.

She noted how everyone was back in their clothes and not the pyjamas which made her feel like the odd one out.

But hey, this is her house. She can wear whatever she wants.

She made her way to the kitchen and the only one there besides herself was Erron, taking a swig from a half empty beer bottle.

"Damn, you're quick." She said with a chuckle.

He noted her presence and smirked.  
"What do you mean?" 

"Well I just saw you upstairs in your PJs still and now you're here fully clothed, rummaging through my kitchen." She confronted.

He shrugged.  
"Trying to arrange some breakfast for myself." 

She crossed her arms.  
"Aww, only for yourself?"

He raised a brow at her.  
"Do I look like a maid to you, princess?"

"You'd look good in a maid's uniform." She teased.

He disregarded that as he opened up the huge fridge and grabbed ingredients for a simple omelette. Eggs, cheese and some spinach.

She hopped on the counter next to which he got everything ready on.  
"Wooow, didn't know you cooked." 

"As I always say, there's a lot you don't know about me, sugar."

She snorted.  
"Alright, Mr. Mysterious." 

"Instead of sitting on your sweet ass like that can you direct me to a frying pan?" He asked.

"Excuse me… sweet ass?"

"Those shorts are doing wonders…"

"You… Are an animal."

Cassie said before sliding off the counter. She stood on her tippy toes and opened several cupboards before finding the one with the pots and pans.  
"There you go."

"Appreciated. You're more or less nice to me today." He noted with a smirk.

"For now, you're my guest, so I kinda have to. Don't you worry, we'll be back at each other's throats in no time." She assured.

"Can't wait." He added sarcastically. 

He made two portions worth of the omelette, with her occasional assistance.

They plated the food and got to eating it around the kitchen island counter.

She stuffed a forkful of the breakfast dish into her mouth.  
"I'm impressed. You didn't fuck this up."

"Hard to fuck up an omelette… Probably unless you're a spoiled brat who never has to cook for herself." He sassed. 

"Haha. Rich bad. Very original." She shot back, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled and they continued eating in silence. 

Once done he placed his plate in the sink and turned to her with a sigh.  
"Well… Thanks for having me but I should probably go."

She raised a brow.  
"Already? What about your friends?"

"Hm? They left like an hour ago."

"Wow, rude."

"You should come to expect that, at this point." He said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, probably… Come on, I'll walk you to the door."

He followed her out of the kitchen and towards the front door of the mansion.  
"Well… See you tomorrow." She mumbled.

"Yeah. Good luck getting the rest of this gallery out of the house." He joked, implying their classmates.

"I'll manage." 

He tipped his hat at her before walking off to his motorcycle.

Once again Cassie couldn't break her gaze away until he was completely out of her line of sight.

She closed the door and sighed.

She should probably get changed.

~~~~~

One by one Cassie escorted her guests out of the house. 

Mileena and Tanya were the last to hang around since they wanted to meet her dad so bad.

Kitana had to stay as well, she couldn't just leave without her sister.

The second Cassie's dad walked in through the door Mileena and Tanya let out their infamous high pitched screech and huddled around him, simultaneously confessing just how big of a fan each of them was.

The Cage patriarch never shied away from his fame so he happily welcomed the girls' adoration and signed everything they wanted signed. 

After that Cassie was FINALLY able to kick out the last of her guests and exhale in relief.  
"God, I'm never hosting anything again." She whined to her mother.

Sonya chuckled softly as she patted her daughter's head.  
"Did you not enjoy yourself at all?" She asked.

Cassie sighed.  
"I did. My classmates are great, they're just… a LOT."

"Now you know how I feel with you and your father." Her mom replied, teasingly pinching her cheek. 

"Touché" Cassie mumbled.

"Come on, go to your room and relax."

"I wish. Like a mountain of homework to do."

"Then what are you waiting for? Up you go." The older woman said with a chuckle before pushing Cassie upstairs. 

"Okay, okay, point taken."

~~~~~

The new school week breezed through quite uneventfully. Cassie was buried in homework all throughout it so the most fun she got was during the football practices.

And that's not exactly a compliment.

Jacqui pushed all of them to their absolute limits before the first game of the season.

Cassie felt bad for the freshmen on the team especially. Poor kiddos.

The busy weekdays rolled one over the other and at last it was Friday.

The day of the first game.

Cassie walked into their classroom only to see Kung Lao sabotaging Professor Raiden's formula chart attached to the blackboard, met with protests from Jade and Kitana. 

Cassie stopped to assess what the class clown drew.

Raiden as a stick figure yelling at the class with red glowing eyes. 

"Why are you doing Mr. Raiden like that, Lao." Cassie said with a chuckle before taking her place next to Frost.

"A harmless prank, dude needs to learn to laugh." Kung Lao explained. 

"This is not gonna end well." Frost whispered as a prediction.

Just then the class bell rang and the prankster rushed to finish his drawing before running back to his seat.

Everyone settled down and a minute or so later Professor Raiden came in through the door. 

Looking times angrier than usual. Walked to his desk without as much as a "Good morning." To the class.

Hell, the day just started. They wondered what got him so pissed first thing in the morning.

Cassie gazed uneasily at Kung Lao, noting just how fast color drained from his face.

The professor slammed his briefcase just a bit too hard against the desk.  
"Please open page 36 of the pamphlets I gave out last week--" He started just before turning to the blackboard and noticing the caricature. 

And the class knew from the furious expression on his face that a storm was about to fall upon them.

He pointed at the ruined chart angrily.  
"Who did that?"

Silence. 

"Don't test my patience today. Who. Did. That." The teacher shouted. "Or else a board meeting will be gathered for this class. I've had about ENOUGH of this." He said strictly, striking the table with his palm.

Everyone jumped in their seat.

Capital "Y" Yikes. They knew Professor Raiden was strict but he was never like this. 

Kung Lao exhaled shakily and was about to stand up when Liu Kang gripped his arm and stood up in his friend's place.  
"I drew that."

Professor Raiden's eyes widened.  
"Liu Kang… I didn't expect that from you. I am very disappointed." 

The teacher shook his head and was about to sign a detention slip when Kitana jumped out of her seat.

"He's lying. He's covering up for me, I-I did it." She murmured shyly. 

Raiden raised a brow at her.  
"Is this some kind of strange joke?"

Well, well, well, exciting turn of events.

The act inspired nobility in the others.

"They're BOTH lying, Professor… It was me." Cassie said boldly.

Frost stood up beside Cassie, arms crossed.  
"No. I did it."

Kuai and Hanzo looked at the standing crowd then at each other before rising at the same time.  
"It was us." They said in unison. 

Kung Lao groaned.  
"Okay, guys! Enough! Mr. Raiden, it was me and let's be real out of all these culprits I'm the more believable one." He blurted out hurriedly.

The professor crossed his arms.  
"Indeed. I've lost count on which strike of yours this is, Kung Lao… I doubt detention will be enough punishment." 

Kung Lao visibly gulped. Could Raiden really be mad enough to get him expelled?! Over a drawing?!

Jade raised a hand before getting up as well, joining the ever-growing crowd.  
"With all due respect, Professor… You have no proof that out of all the people confessing, Kung Lao is the one who drew the caricature… A-and it doesn't even matter because… b-because I did it! O-on a dare!" 

Poor girl really isn't a good liar.

"Jade, you're the last person I expected to join this madness."

Kotal rose to his feet solemnly.  
"If she did it, then I did it too."

Mileena and her group jumped up excitedly.  
"This is fun! We did it!"

One for all and all for one apparently. 

The rest of the class claimed to be the vandals, one after the other, until they turned to the Black Dragon clique expectantly.  
"Hm? Nah we're innocent, don't look at us." Erron spoke for them.

Their classmates all rolled their eyes. Maybe not ALL for one. 

At this point the teacher was fuming. No one would be surprised if his eyes actually did glow red.  
"Alright then. Since you all insist on this charade… You're ALL in detention today. And on the weekend as well!" He decided. 

Gasps and groans of protest rang through the classroom.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"I better not hear any whining! You made your beds, sleep in them." The teacher phrased. 

"But we didn't confess to anything!" Kabal complained.

"Oh give me a break. You three are long overdue on detention anyway." Raiden dismissed.

Everyone settled back, defeated.

Jacqui tapped Cassie's shoulder angrily.  
"We can't be in detention! The game is TODAY! We'll be late!" She panicked.

Cassie grimaced.  
"I'm… Sorry, Jacqui… But we better not further anger the teacher."

Jacqui breathed heavily, holding her head as she contemplated on the outcome of this.

Takeda wrapped his arm around her supportively.  
"Hey, hey! Don't be upset, it'll be okay."

"Like hell!" She nearly cried.

"We'll figure something out, okay?" He assured. "Let's wait till detention."

~~~~~

The rest of Friday classes went by tediously and with a tense, worried atmosphere in the room. 

The awkward silence would occasionally be broken by Mileena's whining about the football game and her reputation as cheer captain if she missed it. And she repeatedly earned a glare from Jacqui that had "Read the room" written all over it.

Finally the time came for their punishment for earlier.

Everyone sat in silence as the first hour or so of the detention passed without the teacher's presence.

Now the silence was every so often interrupted by sad sniffles from Jacqui who was devastated about the possibility of missing the first game. 

Cassie and Takeda huddled around her, hugging her and caressing her back.

Just as upset was Jade. Her first detention that she worried would taint her recommendations. An irrational fear, really, but a fear nonetheless.

"Well… This couldn't have ended any worse." Frost said bluntly. "Good job, Kung Lao."

"How was I supposed to know he'd come in that pissed today?! I've done worse and gotten less!" He practically yelled. "Besides, I didn't ask all of you to stand up for me!"

Kitana frowned at him.  
"At least show some gratitude… We're all in this because of you. You heard the teacher. He could have gotten you expelled!"

Kung Lao stared down at his desk, embarrassed.  
"I'm sorry…" 

"You should be." Frost said directly once again. 

Cassie smacked her arm.

"No, no, Cass, she's right… I'm sorry I got you all in this… I didn't know it would end like this… Thanks for having my back." Kung Lao said sincerely. "No pranks on teachers from now on." He promised.

"Would you look at that, he learned a lesson." Jade sassed, earning a chuckle from everyone.

Everyone besides the black dragon clique.

Erron groaned and gathered his stuff, making his way to the door, to escape before Raiden could check on them.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Cassie asked.

He turned to her.  
"I never signed up for that Friendship-Defeats-All show you clowns put on earlier, I'm not suffering the consequences any more. I'm out of here."

He whipped back around to leave only to come face to face with professor Raiden.

The Texan gulped and solemnly returned to his seat.

Raiden slowly entered the classroom, his expression unreadable. 

Immediately followed by Miss Cetrion. 

The older man stood in the middle of the room, some reluctance in his stance.

Miss Cetrion raised a brow and nudged him.

He sighed.  
"Kids… Earlier this morning I was incredibly stressed and may have… Poured it all out on you and overreacted to that prank of yours…" He looked pointedly at Kung Lao. "Which was still inappropriate! But… I did overdo it with the punishment." 

"Wh-what do you mean, sir?" Liu Kang asked. 

"You are all dismissed from detention… For now." 

Jacqui jumped up happily.  
"Yes!" 

Everyone stared at her.

"I-I mean… Yay?" 

Miss Cetrion chuckled.  
"Can you guys not anger him like this anymore? I barely convinced him to let you go." 

Kung Lao rose to his feet and put a hand on his chest.  
"Mr. Raiden, Miss Cetrion, I solemnly swear to never prank teachers again."

The older woman smiled.  
"We'll hold you to it."

"Alright, alright now get out of here." Mr. Raiden said with a modest smile.

The class cheered and rushed out the door, especially the members of the football team who were barely gonna make it now. 

Jade caught up to Kung Lao and eyed him angrily.  
"You're lucky, this could have ended very badly for you!" She said worriedly. 

He smirked.  
"Nah, it was worth it."

"And how exactly?"

"Seeing you jump to my defense like that was cute as hell… Sacrificed your 12 year no detention streak just for me~." Kung Lao said flirtatiously. 

She clicked her tongue and hid the slight hint of a blush on her face.  
"Yeah, as if." She mumbled.

"Come on, admit it, you were worried I'd get expelled and you'd never see my handsome face again." He gloated dramatically. 

She rolled her eyes.  
"Come on, handsome face, I wanna get good seats at the bleachers before the game begins."

~~~~~

Cassie was about to follow the rest of the team members when Frost grabbed her arm.

"Hey, good luck out there." She wished quickly.

Cassie raised a brow.  
"You're not coming to watch?"

Frost rubbed the back of her neck.  
"I-I have to go home early today… But I'll be there with you… spiritually… or whatever.

Cassie laughed.  
"Wow, thanks."

"Yeah… Knock 'em dead uhm… Show them how it's done! And other supportive… things."

"You're REALLY bad at this, Frost."

"Urgh, I know, I'm trying… Anyway, good luck."

The girls high-fived before Cassie made her way to the others.

They rushed to the changing rooms where Coach Briggs was pacing worriedly.

Jacqui and company ran in, breathing heavily.

"Where were you?!" The coach asked. 

"Long story, dad! We gotta get changed!" Jacqui said, rushing to get her team uniform out of her bag.

Cassie settled next to her, quickly changing from her normal clothes as well.  
"Not gonna lie, not how I expected for my career here to start." She said jokingly.

Jacqui shook her head.  
"Shush, we were saved by the bell. The bell in question being Miss Cetrion."

The two friends laughed as they finished up the clothing change. 

With the boys and the rest of the team ready as well they made their way out to the field.

People on the bleachers were already hyping both teams up. 

And the cheer squad led by Mileena were waving their pom-poms, impatiently waiting for their halftime routine. 

Mileena and Kitana looked even more identical with the matching cheer uniforms and high ponytails.

The only difference being the few extra red stripes on Mileena's crop top indicating her cheerleading captain status.

The team huddled around one another for a quick encouragement from the captain.  
"Okay, guys… We poured blood, sweat and tears into this… let's make it a season to remember!" 

They cheered and put their hands together in the middle.  
"Go dragons!" 

~~~~~

For the first game of the season, it was intense.

2-2 into overtime.

At that point, both teams were sweating bullets. 

As Cassie ran with the ball towards the opposite team's goal, she was tripped by one of the defenders.

She fell painfully on her back and her teammates immediately demanded repercussion, which they received. The aforementioned defender was given a red card and booted off the field while Jacqui was tasked to make a direct free kick. 

That excited the team as the captain has never failed one before in her school career. She could easily win the game for them.

But the pressure was on.

They lined up the ball and Jacqui stared directly at it, trying to ignore the players of both teams standing around her, focusing only on the goalkeeper who stood at the ready.

Jacqui felt like her heart would jump out of her chest. As easy as these goals were, they were stressful, especially if they were game-enders. 

She stole a glance towards the bleachers and noticed their strategist and her best friend Takeda among the crowd immediately.

"You got this." He mouthed. 

Jacqui smiled to herself before going for the kick.

The ball soared and squeezed just between the goalkeeper's hands, right into the net.

The bleachers erupted with cheers.

Victory!

The team jumped on Jacqui, hugging her, ruffling her hair and lifting her up in the air triumphantly.

The first game was theirs!

The cheerleaders rushed on the field as well, waving their pom-poms around as they called out Jacqui's name.

After the high of the win everyone made their way to the changing rooms once again, chatting and laughing light-heartedly as the stress was relieved for now. 

Cassie got ready first and waved her team a quick goodbye before leaving the packed room.

She spotted a hooded figure near it, facing away from her.

No one besides the team should be there, ideally.

"Hey, are you lost?" She asked with a raised brow.

The hooded person jumped, clearly startled, and dropped what was in their hands.  
"Oh shit--"

Cassie's eyes widened.  
"Frost..?"

"Uh… No..?" The azure-haired girl mumbled as she rushed to pick up her things.

The blonde made her way to her friend, kneeling down to help her pick up what she dropped.  
"The fuck, Frost, I thought you couldn't make it… to the game…" 

Only then Cassie realized what her friend dropped.

Her camera...

...As well as a dozen or so Polaroid pictures of the classmate Frost regularly claimed she hated. 

Him during football practice with the hem of his shirt raised as he wiped his face, him leaning against his locker, him smiling while talking at the cafeteria… And one taken obviously during the game.

"What the hell..?" Cassie mumbled.

Frost grabbed the photos and shoved them into her bag along with the camera.  
"Th-this is not what you think! That is if y-you're thinking what I th-think you're thinking in which case don't… Think that…" She blurted out, panicked. 

Cassie felt like a Windows loading screen as she processed what she just saw.  
"Frost why do you have so many pictures of Kuai…"

Suddenly her eyes widened and a long gasp escaped her.

Frost shook her head violently.  
"No no no no, Cassie, stop! Shut your brain off!"

"You don't actually hate him do you?--"

"Cassie--"

"This whole rivalry is an excuse--"

"STOP!"

"Because you actually have a crush on him!"

Frost covered her ears and whined loudly.  
"Don't say it like that!"

Cassie shook her head in disbelief.  
"I can't believe I never put two and two together! That was so obvious."

Frost growled.  
"I swear if ANYONE finds out, let alone him, I won't take into consideration that you're my first real friend ever, Cass, I WILL kill you!" She claimed.

Cassie giggled and crossed her heart.  
"Your secret is safe with me…"

"Good…"

"...But you should tell him."

"NO!"

Cassie laughed at the blue haired girl's exaggerated reaction.

"Cage, I'm serious! This stays between us."

"Urgh, fiiine, since you pulled the intimidating-last-name-only-referral..." Cassie tried her hardest to suppress a smile. "But Gosh, that's so cute!"

"Ooookay, I'm going home, see you on Monday." Frost said before stomping away, face burning a deep shade of red.

"This conversation isn't over!" The blonde shouted after her. 

~~~~~

Cassie was smiling ear to ear from the revelation about her friend as she made her way to the school parking lot, ready to call her chauffeur.

She passed Erron who was leaning on his motorcycle, smoking.

He smirked.  
"Congrats on the win."

Cassie raised her brow at him.  
"You were at the game?"

"Hell nah… Just heard the cheering."

She put her hand on her hip.  
"I'm guessing you're gonna try and ruin my good mood now."

He took a puff of his cigarette.  
"Now why would I do that, Princess?"

"I figured you were more of a 'why not' kind of guy, rather than 'why'..."

He shrugged.  
"You caught me there."

She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her phone, looking for her driver's phone number.  
"Thanks for the useless conversation."

"Anytime, sugar."

Cassie disregarded that and called her chauffeur but the calm didn't go through.  
"Dammit…"

"Want me to give you a ride?"

"Thanks but no thanks." She mumbled.

Erron smirked as he patted his motorcycle.  
"Come ooon… Not something you haven't done before." He teased. 

She threw a glance his way but remained silent.

"She's thinking…" He whispered.

Cassie couldn't help but chuckle at that.  
"Promise you won't kidnap me like last time?"

"No shenanigans, Ma'am, taking you straight home." 

She clicked her tongue.  
"Okayyyy."

Erron threw his cigarette aside and helped her on the motorcycle before getting on himself.  
"No helmets this time, hang tight." He warned.

She wrapped her arms around his waist as he sped off.

The wind in her long blonde hair was really pleasant. 

Though the lack of evening lights took something away from the experience, she really enjoyed it nonetheless.

His muscular back was a really comfortable pillow too so she wasn't gonna complain there.

"You okay back there?" Erron shouted to her.

"More than!" She replied.

The worst part of the ride was how short it was, really.

"Here you are back home. In one piece, with no detours, as requested, Princess."

She laughed.  
"Thanks…"

They stared at each other with reserved smiles for a few seconds.

Suddenly Cassie crossed her arms.  
"Okay, spill, just why are you being nice to me?"

"Like you said, sugar, I'm more of a 'why not' kinda guy." 

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.  
"Mmmhmmm…"

He sighed.  
"You really don't trust a word I say, do you?" 

"First impressions mean a lot to me. And let's just say yours weren't great." 

The texan nodded.  
"I get that."

She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully.  
"But I can be won over… I'm not yet! But I can be."

He smirked.  
"I'll take that into consideration."

She turned towards the gates of her home.  
"Well… Bye."

"Farewell, Princess." He said dramatically before riding off once again.

The silence of her family's gated community finally led Cassie to the realization…

She needs a big ol' nap.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!! Sorry the chapters take so long there's a war situation in my country right now and fics are really the last thing on my mind... But anyway! Here's an update sorry if it's a bit messier than usual, couldn't focus much but still wanted to update yall. 
> 
> And as always the link to everyone's outfits in this story 
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

October rolled around with its chilly winds and auburn colouring of the trees outside.

The overly enthusiastic lovers of Halloween were already preparing themselves for spooky season. 

One of those All Hallow's Eve fanatics was Mileena, who could not wait for the upcoming costume party despite the 3 week wait she still had to endure.

She woke up on a gloomy, sunless Saturday morning with Halloween shopping on her mind.

Once she relieved the soreness of her muscles with a quick stretch in bed, she reached for her phone on the nightstand, ready to be flooded with messages from her and her friends' group chat.

Only to find it eerily empty. 

She paid it no mind and typed quickly, her long, pink stiletto nails clicking on the phone screen.  
"Morning, Babes 😌💞" She wrote affectionately.

Used to a quick reply, Mileena kept staring at the phone screen.

A minute passed… two… three…

No reply from her friends.

She pouted.  
"Weird."

She threw her phone aside and hopped over to her vanity. 

The brunette released her dark strands of hair from the messy bun they were in and brushed through them thoroughly, occasionally throwing a glance at her phone, waiting for it to buzz.

She got ready for the day with the phone's complete silence when usually it would ding every couple of seconds from her friends sending some stupid gossip/tea videos or reaction images.

Nothing of the sort that morning.

Mileena groaned and grabbed her phone again.

"Helloooooo??" She texted.

A minute or so passed and a smaller font appeared under her message.

Seen by Rain💜

She sighed in relief ready to finally get a reply but… it didn't come.

"What the fuck…" She whispered to herself. 

She clicked away from the group chat and into her direct messages with Rain.

"The hell are you leaving me on read for?! 😡😡"

Again, Seen by Rain💜

She waited and waited for the dot dot dot to signify that he was about to answer but… no.

Nothing. 

She slumped on her bed, staring nowhere.

Her friends were ignoring her.

But what for? She had no idea.

Was she overreacting? Maybe they're just busy.

That's what she wanted to believe, but Rain never left her on read, EVER.

Letting paranoia take over she dialled the boy's number.

"You've reached the-- guys, stop! You've reached the numb-- Tanya! Fuck it, leave a message, boo." He called out cheerfully from the voicemail.

What the fuck is this?! 2008?!

It's official now. They were ignoring her.

And that made her FURIOUS.

She was their queen B! Ignoring her was basically blasphemy.

Screw them, she thought.

They want to ignore her? She can ignore them tenfold.

With a constant pout on her face, Mileena stomped downstairs to the kitchen where her mom and twin sat.

She yanked the chair and plopped down, crossing her arms on the table angrily.

Kitana raised her brow.  
"The day just started, what's got you so pissed? Broke your nail?" She mocked.

Mileena ignored her as she poured herself a bowl of cereal.

Sindel patted her daughter's shoulder worriedly.  
"Are you alright, dear?" The older woman asked.

"M'fine…" She murmured.

Just then, their landline rang in the living room, making Sindel leave to get it.

Once she was out of earshot, Mileena rested her head in her hands and sniffled quietly.

Kitana's eyes widened as she sat closer to her sister hugging her close.  
"Mileena, what happened?"

The twin just shook her head, a sob escaping her.

So much for being able to ignore them tenfold…

Kitana cupped her sister's cheek affectionately making her face her.  
"Why are you crying?"

"P-people are… s-so… f-fake…" She wept.

"Wait… Is this about your squad?"

"Th-they're i-ignoring me…"

"Jesus, Mileena, I thought this was something serious." Kitana said, backing away.

"It IS serious!" She cried. "They've never EVER ignored me before… I-I don't even know what I've done!"

Kitana thought for a second.  
"Well… I do…"

Mileena stared at her, wiping her eyes.  
"What do you mean?"

"This isn't my business but I know you guys are… CLOSE close like… very close." Kitana pointed out shyly, gesturing… whatever she thought it was with her hands.

Mileena rolled her eyes, trying to gather herself.  
"Well, yeah, what's your point?"

"Don't you think they felt a bit… insulted when you made out with Hanzo right in front of them?"

Mileena exhaled shakily.  
"I… but that was a week ago! And they were fine at school this week."

"No offense, sis, but you're not very good at reading people, maybe you just didn't notice they were off."

Mileena pouted.  
"What do YOU know?"

Kitana raised her hands defensively.  
"Woah there, I'm trying to help you figure this out."

Mileena pouted and checked her phone again, seeing no notifications from the group chat… but there was one from Rain.

She perked up and opened it.

"If you don't like it maybe you can message Hanzo instead." He texted coldly.

Mileena blinked.  
"God… you're right! They ARE upset about it."

"Duh…" Kitana whispered.

"B-but… they know how I am, they know I'm flirty, it wasn't anything serious."

Kitana shrugged, opting for tough love.  
"Maybe it was for them."

Mileena threw her phone on the table harshly before breaking down crying again. 

Kitana hugged her sister lovingly.  
"There, there… you guys are inseparable I'm sure if you talk to them it'll be okay."

"But I'm so… bad at that… being serious... thing…" She mumbled.

Kitana chuckled.  
"Take your time with it… you can hang with me and Jade at school for the time being."

Mileena stared at Kitana with a poker face.  
"Hmm… riveting…" 

"Urgh, you really are insufferable." 

"Okay, okay, sorry… Thanks, Kit."

The blue clad sister smiled warmly.  
"You're welcome."

~~~~~

Monday arrived and the atmosphere between the four friends was tense to say the least.

As seating charts couldn't be changed that deep into the school year, she had to sit next to the three people that were ignoring her adamantly.

On several occasions Baraka slipped, talking to his adored brunette, only to be pinched or nudged by Rain or Tanya who seemed to be the main initiators of this silent treatment. 

Mileena wasn't ready to talk to them about it, knowing it would include saying that what she felt towards the footballer during their make out was nothing… When in the back of her mind she knew it wasn't.

She had to swallow her pride and hang out with Kitana and her nerdy friends… Urgh Kung Lao's company was especially annoying considering he brought up all the times she has made fun of him every couple of minutes.

She stared longingly at the center table of the cafeteria as the class clown babbled on.

Tanya laughed heartily at something Baraka said, arm crossed with Rain's.

They seemed to notice her glance and she quickly averted it, unable to see their reaction.

What have her stupid emotions gotten herself into…

~~~~~

Mondays suck. For multiple reasons. Everyone knows that.

It especially sucked for the poor seniors as it was the day they had Literature as one of their periods.

No one enjoyed Professor Shao Kahn's tyranny.

Well… Maybe except Skarlet and D'Vorah… But everyone knew they were into some weird shit.

Not a peep was to be heard during class, phones better be on silent or turned off entirely.

And GOD forbid you forgot homework.

Not to mention, the middle aged man's gaze was always weirdly focused downwards whenever female students were presenting at the board. 

Yikes.

It was the only class that made Cassie genuinely wish she never transferred schools. 

The Professor barked on and on about Shakespearean works but all the blonde heard was...

Blah Blah I'm creepy Blah Blah sexualising Juliet who was like 13 Blah Blah.

When the teacher turned to the blackboard, Cassie allowed herself to stretch tiredly, her hand reaching the classmate behind her, Takeda, ruffling his hair lovingly.

He looked up at her and chuckled and she laughed back, barely audible. 

She straightened just in time to face the teacher. 

Bored beyond reason, every little detail about the classroom seemed entertaining.

She snuck a glance behind herself, locking eyes with Erron who made a gun with his hand and pretended to shoot himself.

"Same." She mouthed, once in a lifetime agreeing with the Texan.

He pointed the "gun" at her, closed one eye and fired it.  
"Pew."

She rolled her eyes at him, mouthing.  
"Stop it."

He pointed his fingers downward, at her phone sticking out of her bag, screen lit up with an incoming call… from him!

Fuck, did she forget to turn it off?

Her eyes widened and she scrambled to decline it.

"Miss Cage!"

"Y-yes, sir." She sounded off, the phone obviously in her hand.

"I believe I've explained my 'no phone' stance during my class." 

"I'm s--"

He approached her desk and snatched the phone right out of her hand. 

"H-hey!"

"You know the guidelines, Cassandra."

"But--"

"No buts! You'll get this from the principal after I take you to her after class."

"It's just a phone!" She complained. 

The intimidating teacher glared at her silently and she shrunk in her seat.

She's going to kill that humanised corn husk. 

God… trouble at school two weeks in a row. 

She earned a sorry gaze from her deskmate, Frost. 

Cassie glared at Erron angrily.  
"Thanks a lot!" She mouthed.

Noticing how upset the blonde got over this, Erron pitied her… just a bit.

Although him and his friends planned to get her in trouble that day and be done with it. 

They were suspicious of how familiar he was getting with her for the sake of the ultimate goal but he wouldn't want to face their wench of a principal alone either. 

"Now, can any of you give me a famous Shakespearean quote?" That creep of a teacher asked. 

Erron saw the opportunity and took it, raising his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Black."

"Suck my dick." The Texan said nonchalantly, laughter erupting amongst his classmates, except Cassie who just narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

The teacher seemed like he was about to pop a vein.  
"Well… it seems there are TWO disrespectful maggots in this classroom today… BOTH of you wait for me after hours, you'll be paying a visit to the principal." He yelled.

Cassie kept her gaze fixed on Erron, wondering just what his goal is here.

But the only explanation she earned was a simple wink from him.

~~~~~

"Two detentions within your first month here, you're a real troublemaker, aren't you?" Frost said, semi-mocking, as she stuck around in the classroom after the final period for Cassie. 

"First of all, shush, second, I'm not in detention, I'm just gonna see the principal and… Explain myself."

Frost snorted.  
"Good luck with that. Mrs. Kronika is always on the teacher's side, plus Shao is an expert ass sucker."

Cassie threw her head back and groaned.  
"URGH! All this because of that Tex-ass"

"What the hell does he want from you?"

"Beats me."

Frost snort-laughed. "Maybe he still has that elementary school mentality where he pulls the pigtails of the girl he likes." 

Cassie threw an unimpressed glance her way.  
"Rich, coming from you." She murmured. 

"I-- You--" The blue haired girl mumbled, blushing heavily.

Cassie cackled.  
"Ooooh your little crush is a real trump card for me."

Frost rolled her eyes but otherwise dismissed the remark.  
"I gotta get going, see you on the other side." 

Cassie pouted.  
"If I make it."

"Godspeed." Frost joked before throwing her bag over her shoulder and leaving the classroom. 

She walked through the corridors of the school, each turn memorized as she kept her gaze fixed on her class schedule in her phone.

A pleasant romantic melody caught her attention as she passed the music room.

She peeked through the glass part of the door out of curiosity and saw Kuai playing the piano with a small smile on his face.

URGH! Of course he knows how to play an instrument too, why would he not, he's Mr. Perfect, Frost thought to herself angrily.

Her eyes widened as she noticed his audience. Sareena leaning against the piano as she listened to her boyfriend's brother play, with a smitten expression on her face.

The blue haired girl gasped and furrowed her brows.

Wait, what?!

Maybe Mr. Perfect is not so perfect after all if he's wooing his brother's girlfriend--

As if on cue Bi-Han appeared behind Sareena, holding her close by the waist and swaying to the gentle rhythm of the cords his brother played.

Oh. Okay. False alarm.

She's somewhat relieved… But upset at the same time! 

Can't he do anything wrong?! Anything suspicious?!

Lame...

She kept on staring at the romantic sight when the trio started gathering their stuff to leave. 

"Oh shit--" Frost whispered as she hid behind the nearby lockers. 

The door to the music room creaked open and one by one they stepped out, holding a conversation that was barely audible to her.

"You definitely should tell her, Kuai, who knows how that would end." Sareena said with a quiet giggle. 

"Yeah… maybe I will, once I feel like she'll let me keep my head in the aftermath." Kuai Liang answered with a chuckle. 

Huh?! Who's that "She" ?! And WHAT exactly are they talking about?!

The three disappeared in the opposite direction and the eavesdropper stepped out from behind the lockers.

Interesting… Very interesting.

Frost peeked her head back in the music room aimlessly when in the last millisecond she caught a glimpse of a phone left behind.

She made sure she was alone and stepped into the room, closing the door after herself, just in case. 

She rushed to the piano and grabbed the phone from the cap. 

Her eyes lit up. It was Kuai's!

No password.

Well, damn, now he was making it too easy for her.

"Let's see what skeletons you're hiding, pretty boy."

It didn't matter that she had come to terms that she maaaay have a teeeeeeeny tiny crush on the guy, she still wanted to bring him down, humble him just a little bit. 

That part of her that was whipped by him screamed, he's already the most humble being on this earth.

Well… she tried not to listen to it.

Surprisingly, there was a pin code on the gallery, despite the lack of one on the phone itself.

She wondered what scandalous pictures that saint could be hiding…

Woah there, her mind was wandering to weird places… Again.

She blushed just at the thought.

Focus, Frost. 

She tried to look for anything noteworthy in his messages and search history, not even bothering with cracking the gallery password. 

"Hey, nosey." Someone called out from right behind her.

She jumped, nearly dropping the phone before whirling around to face the intruder. 

"K-Kuai…" 

He smirked, awkwardly pointing at his phone in her hands.  
"I uh… think you have something of mine."

Frost stared at him, then at the phone then back at him with an innocent expression.  
"I--... I was just trying to figure out whose it was." She excused. 

"Mhm… Right." 

Her eyes widened.  
"It's true!"

"Yeah, yeah, I believe you." He said with a small wink as he pocketed his phone. 

"Maybe you should be more careful about your belongings." She scolded, arms crossed. 

"Thanks for the advice." He replied before turning to leave. 

She grit her teeth. How the hell is he so calm all the time?!  
"URGH! How the hell do you do that?!"

He turned back to her.  
"Do what?"

"Stay so… so… relaxed! You saw me snooping around your phone and you're still gonna be polite?! Not one rude remark?!" She questioned.

Kuai Liang looked at her like she was crazy.  
"What do you want me to do? Call the cops?" He chuckled. "Maybe spank you?" He joked, unusually crudely for him. 

She fake-retched and shoved him away despite a part of her getting weirdly excited at the thought.  
"Urgh! Gross!"

He laughed heartily.  
"See you in class!"

"Screw you!" She shouted after him.

~~~~~

When Frost left the classroom, Cassie remained alone with Erron once again. 

How the hell did she keep ending up in these situations?

She stared at the perpetual smirk on his face.  
"Real happy, aren't you?" She said through gritted teeth.

"Untwist your panties, everything will be alright."

"Define 'alright'..." She shot back.

"You'll see, Princess, you'll see."

She rolled her eyes and rested her head on her crossed arms on the table as she waited for the tyrant to come and drag her to hell.

Minutes passed and the Professor entered the room, menacingly standing over them.  
"You maggots have yet to learn respect… Won't have time to blink and you'll be out of this school… Supposed functioning members of society… Well how will you do it if you can't respect your elders."

The two teens stared up at the teacher, Cassie's expression way more guilt ridden than Erron's. 

Suddenly the teacher's phone rang in his pocket.

He got it out and answered the call.  
"What is it?" 

The older man's eyes widened.  
"Shit-- I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and pointed a finger at the kids.  
"Don't you go anywhere!"

With that he hurried out of the classroom.

Cassie whipped around to face Erron.  
"That's your doing..."

He smirked.  
"Naturally, sugar." 

The Texan got up and reached his hand out to her.  
"Ready to get out of here?"

"But--"

"The call will keep him occupied, unless Kabal blows his cover, come on, we gotta hurry." He approached the window as he spoke, opening it wide, implying that their exit is through it..

Cassie hesitated, glance shifting from him to the door then back to him.

"Or you'd rather go face the principal?" 

She whined and ran to him.  
"God, I hate you."

Erron mounted the window frame and jumped down, hitting the ground with a loud thud, but with no damage.

He looked up at her.  
"Your turn."

"Uhm, is it an appropriate time to mention that I have a debilitating fear of heights?" She mumbled.

He rolled his eyes.  
"It's like a 10 foot fall, plus, I'll catch you."

"10 feet is 10 feet too many!" She shouted, panic apparent in her tone.

"Fucking hell, Princess, the teacher will be back any minute, can you trust me with this?!"

"The answer's not looking good for either of us..."

"Well regardless of the answer you'll HAVE to jump!" He pressured.

Fuck it, she closed her eyes and stepped off.  
"EEK!" 

It was over within a second and Cassie landed in Erron's arms safely.

The impact knocked the air out of him, but his grip was firm.  
"See? You're alive, healthy and falling for me… Literally." 

"...Let me go." She ordered, glaring at him.

"Sure." He said nonchalantly before dropping her on the ground.

Cassie yelped as she landed on her behind.  
"...Ow."

The blonde got back up and dusted herself off.

"Thanks for flying Erron airlines, please rate your experience."

"A solid 'fuck you' out of ten." She sassed. 

He laughed and was about to retort when Kabal and Kano rushed out of the school, running up to them.  
"We barely held him back, let's get out of here before the old fucker catches up to us." Kabal warned.

Cassie pouted.  
"But my phone…"

"Taken care of, love." Kano said, handing her the device that he snatched from the teacher 

She smiled and took it from the Aussie.  
"Thanks!" 

"This escape deserves a celebration." Kabal said excitedly.

"Oh hell no, I've been through enough adventures with you 3 for today." The blonde said, giggling. 

"Come on, Cage! Join us, it'll be fun." Kabal exclaimed, shaking her by the shoulders. "We'll take you to a really cool bowling alley we always hang out at."

"Uhm… Okay..?" She agreed.

"Rad!" 

With that Kabal pushed her to the motorcycles while Kano pulled Erron aside.

"What the hell, Black? Getting yourself in trouble for her wasn't part of the plan. Now she's tagging along for no reason."

"Relax, man, this was a lucky accident. She's totally starting to dig me, just imagine how legendary this will be at the end." Erron said, reminding his friend of the greater scheme of things. 

"Better not be a let down…"

They nodded at each other knowingly before joining the other two by the vehicles. 

Kabal was helping Cassie on his motorcycle and that bubbled up a weird anger in the Texan.  
"Hold your horses… She'll be riding with me." He said strictly, instinctively grabbing her wrist. 

"Oh come on, dude, you've given her a ride twice already." Kabal complained.

Earning a "What the fuck?!" Glare from Erron.

"Girls, girls, you're both sweethearts." Cassie interrupted sarcastically. "But I think I'll ride with Kabal this time since he's so excited about it." She decided.

"Damn straight." 

"Fine, suit yourself." Erron said, shrugging, trying to not sound pissed. 

They each got on their vehicles and rode off towards another of the trio's regular hang out spots.

The bowling alley looked really flashy and modern, with an arcade attached to it too. It was quite busy as well, to Cassie's surprise.

She just assumed it would be an old, abandoned place like the dilapidated night club from before. 

"Woooow… impressive." She complimented as they made their way inside. 

Kano and Kabal rushed to get their bowling shoes while Cassie and Erron sat at the neon bar counter. 

"Can the drinks be on me?" Cassie offered graciously.

Erron snort-laughed.  
"Sorry, Princess, but I can't let a lady pay."

She raised a brow.  
"Since when are you chivalrous?"

"Another thing you didn't know about me, I guess." He said with a wink.

"Mmm… Yeah, especially the stupid stunt you pulled in class earlier, very chivalrous."

He laughed.  
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself, your expression was priceless." 

She smacked him lightly.  
"Dumbass." 

They each ordered a frozen coke and sipped it in silence.

"So who discovered this place amongst you?"

He pointed at himself before setting his drink down.  
"My dad and I used to come here all the time when I was a kid."

She smirked.  
"Why not anymore? Too grown for parental affection?"

He smiled sadly.  
"My dad… He passed away when I was 11."

Cassie's face fell and her stomach turned.  
"Oh God… Erron, I'm so sorry--"

"Don't be. I didn't clarify so you'd feel like an asshole."

She pouted.  
"Well… Too late…" She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Thanks for trusting me with that though."

He shrugged.  
"Wasn't some huge secret. I don't know why you assume I'm some mysterious closed book, if you ask me a question I will most likely answer it."

Cassie smirked.  
"Is that so… Well then riddle me this… Why are you being so nice to me? Inviting me to your hangouts, you three seem like a pretty exclusive clique…" She questioned.

"Didn't know one needed a reason to be cool with their classmate."

"That's not an answer."

"It is to me."

"You think I was born yesterday, don't you?"

He simply shrugged at that.

She tapped her lips with her index finger.  
"Okay here's another one--"

"Why am I being interrogated right now--"

"--Why'd you break up with Skarlet?" 

"Wouldn't you want to know?" He asked flirtatiously. 

"Yeah, that's why I asked." She replied directly.

Erron looked off thoughtfully, his gaze finally landing on Kabal. 

His expression melted into a smile.  
"I knew someone who was… Way more into her than I was… So I broke it off to give them a chance but… it doesn't matter since the dumbass hasn't made a move yet." 

Cassie followed his gaze.  
"Who? Kabal?"

"Yeah."

"Could have fooled me."

"Yeah, he's shy about it. Plus she hurls random objects at me whenever she sees me approaching so Kabal would have to talk to her alone and well… he doesn't have the balls." 

"I can't tell if it's cute or fucked up that you broke off a relationship for a friend."

He rolled his eyes.  
"We were 16, it's not like I left her at the altar."

"True."

"Done with your interview?"

"Yeah, I suppose…"

"Hallelujah." He joked.

"Hey! You two coming or not?" Kabal shouted to them from the bowling strip.

"Shall we?"

"Prepare to be destroyed, Black." She said smugly.

"Cocky. I love it."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone :) sorry this chapter took so long, as you may or may not now my country is currently in a state of war so I'm rarely in the mood for writing... That being said during the updates I'd like to keep my mind off it so please keep the comments about the fic but I really really appreciate the support I got from the readers of this fic. Huge thank you.
> 
> And as always the link to the Google Doc with the outfits of this fic.
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

The two weeks of radio silence between Mileena and her clique almost drove her mad.

As much as she appreciated her sister's attempts at cheering her up by inviting her to hang out with herself and her own little squad of friends… It didn't help.

She just wasn't on the same wavelength as Jade, Liu Kang and especially Kung Lao.

Mileena missed her gang… a lot.

Especially torturous was cheer practice.

Where she would have to actively interact with Tanya and make eye contact with her… and as Captain, would have to give her instructions to which she would respond with unenthusiastic nods. 

Tanya's cold shoulder hurt the most… They were ride or die since kindergarten. One could say soulmates. They accepted each other after coming out when they were afraid no one else would.

And over something as silly as a truth or dare kiss, she was ready to throw it all away?

Oh shush it, Mileena. Kitana was right. it wasn't silly to them. Stop being so selfish.

Deep in her thoughts about the whole ordeal, the brunette just couldn't focus on cheerleading.  
"Can we take five, everyone?" She asked the team.

They all nodded and scattered throughout the field… Besides Tanya, who straight up left it. 

Mileena stared longingly after her before settling on a bench and resting her head in her hand sadly.

Her twin approached her, a supportive palm on her shoulder.  
"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm thriving…" She said sarcastically.

Kitana sighed and sat down next to her, caressing her arm.  
"Look, I get it--"

"Do you?" Mileena sniffled. "You and Jade and Liu Kang… you guys never fight."

Kitana laughed heartily.  
"Do you really think we don't fight?"

Mileena kept silent.

"Me and Jade have been apart for a whole MONTH once because of a fight."

"Seriously?"

"Of course! That HAPPENS in friendships."

"Urgh, spare me the friendship-is-magic lecture."

Kitana sighed and shook her head.

After a minute of silence she spoke again.  
"You know what helped?"

"Let me guess… Talking?"

"TALKING to her." 

They said almost simultaneously. 

Mileena whined audibly.  
"But I'm so-- so BAD at that!"

"You don't have to give them some poetic perfect apology." She explained. "Just showing that you care is enough." 

The cheer captain glared at her sister.  
"I hate when you're right."

Kitana swept her hair out of the way jokingly.  
"Just comes naturally, I guess. SOMEONE had to get the common sense in the womb."

Mileena snort-laughed and smacked her twin's arm.  
"Brat."

"So you're gonna talk to them?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I'll approach Tanya after practice."

Kitana beamed and hugged her twin.  
"You can do it."

"Ew, don't hug me in public." Mileena joked.

Kitana sighed.  
"Had to ruin it, meanie."

"OKAY, okay. Thanks, Kitty." She said, using her sister's childhood nickname.

"Anytime, Milly."

~~~~~

Mileena felt better after that conversation and the rest of cheer practice went swimmingly.

After it was done though… The anxiety of having to approach Tanya rose in her chest once again. 

She saw the tan cheerleader by the bleachers, stuffing her uniform into her duffle bag, a neutral expression on her face.

Here goes nothing. 

Mileena sighed shakily and walked over to her best friend, hands laced together in front of herself.  
"Hey."

Tanya spared a glance her way.  
"Hi." She threw her bag over her shoulder. "Something about my cheerleading?"

"No, I--"

"Then see ya." She spat angrily before turning to leave.

Mileena rushed after her.  
"Tanya, wait!"

Their slow pace chase continued towards the school parking lot. 

"Just look at me, please!"

Tanya whipped back around to face her, arms crossed.  
"What?!"

Mileena froze.  
"I-... I really miss you."

The tan brunette's expression softened and the grip of her own crossed arms loosened.  
"I don't know what to tell you, Mileena."

"All I want is to talk… Just let me--"

Just then Rain appeared behind Tanya, lacing his fingers with hers, dragging her away.  
"Come on, let's go."

"Coming, babe." She mumbled to the boy.

"Rain!" Mileena called out desperately. "Guys, please!"

She followed them to his car where Baraka was waiting too.

His eyes widened at the sight of her.

"I just want to explain myself!" Her gaze met his. "Baraka, you can't be mad at me for that long, can you?" She asked, inciting guilt in him.

"Manipulative as always, huh, Mileena?" Rain remarked.

"I just want to be heard out!" 

They ignored her and got in the car. 

Tears burned the corners of her eyes.  
"I'm sorry!"

But they had already driven off

Mileena stomped on the ground angrily and ran back to the school grounds, tears streaming down, smearing her eye makeup.

She got behind the changing rooms and sat on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest.

How could they be so cruel?! Nothing was worth treating her like this. 

The brunette sobbed quietly, head dipped, hidden behind her kneecaps. 

She heard approaching footsteps and tried to gather herself.

Her eyes met the intruder's.

"H-Hanzo?" 

Mileena hurried to wipe off the leaking mascara, didn't want him to see her like this.

"Milly? Shit, are you okay?" He asked worriedly, sitting down next to her.

The girl pouted and shook her head.

"What happened? Does anyone need their face caved in." He threatened whoever made her cry.

She chuckled through the tears and wiped them away once more.  
"No… No it's just--" Mileena looked into his eyes. "Can I be honest?"

"Sure."

"My friends are… Upset with me because I kissed you."

He raised a brow.  
"Why?"

She sighed.  
"You won't get it… Let's just say they were shocked."

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  
"Can't say I wasn't surprised myself. Didn't think I was your type at all.

"Well, I was being honest."

He smirked.  
"I'm flattered."

"But it was just a game." She whispered.

"I know--"

Mileena moved closer to him.  
"But… at the same time it wasn't, you know?" She husked, hand on his chest.

His eyes widened.  
"...Oh."

Realizing what she was doing, she hurriedly scooted away from him.  
"I--... I'm sorry, gosh, I'm doing it again…" She grabbed her head. "I'm such an idiot--"

Hanzo put a hand on her shoulder.  
"Mileena…" He sighed. "You're absolutely gorgeous."

Mileena giggled despite her sadness and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. Can't fight that amorous personality.  
"R-Really?"

"Really. But… my girlfriend of 3 years recently moved away and broke up with me and I'm-" He looked away, embarrassed. "Still kind of burned from that."

Her face contorted in a weird poker face.  
"Oh."

"So whatever's going on between you and your friends because of me can end… I'm not ready for anything romantic right now." He explained. "You can tell them just that if they're jealous."

So all this time he had a girlfriend?

She hissed as she got up.  
"Yikes."

Mileena held back from physically cringing at the idea of kissing him while he was freshly broken up and hurt. 

"Yeah."

She may be flirty, but she respected people's boundaries.

"Well… Thanks for clearing that up. As shitty as it is that your cute ass is off limits right now… It's also somewhat of a relief."

He chuckled and got up as well.  
"But if anyone needs their face caved in, let me know."

The brunette giggled.  
"Will do, mister macho."

She stood on her tippy toes and hugged him tightly.  
"Not gonna lie, I could have sworn you and the rest of the football team hate me."

"You have a face that's hard to hate."

"Well well, look who's flirting now..." She joked with a raised brow.

He ruffled her hair and pushed past her.  
"See you around."

"Bye~..." 

Her gaze travelled down his trained back and settled on his tight behind.  
"Urgh, what a loss." She whispered once he was out of earshot.

~~~~~

Mileena walked home alone that day, as Kitana had more errands to run after cheer practice. 

Her schedule ended up being quite empty… Especially with the lack of constant adventurous hangouts with her squad.

Speaking of… When she arrived at her house she saw them sitting on the porch, reluctance on their faces.

Her heartbeat quickened and she ran over to them.

"There she is." Tanya mumbled to the others.

"Wh-what are you guys doing here?" Mileena asked hopefully.

Rain signed and checked his wrist watch.  
"You wanted to be heard out, right? You've got 5 minutes."

Her eyes widened.

Oh fuck, what does she say?!

"I-I'm sorry if I upset you with that… incident at the sleepover I… I should have known it would have been a bigger deal for you three than it was for me but sometimes I'm just--" Her voice started breaking. "S-so damn selfish I put my stupid flirtation before what matters a-and it's you guys!" 

The three just stared at her, as if expecting more. 

"P-please… I'm sorry…"

There was an uncomfortable silence for a minute or so before Baraka rushed over to her.

"Dude!"

"Screw you, guys!" He called out before hugging Mileena close.

Mileena broke down crying and hugged him back tightly. She smiled through the tears.  
"I knew you couldn't stay mad at me." She said lovingly.

"Ah, whatever." Tanya muttered before joining the hug.

Rain stood back, arms crossed as he stared at the ground.

Mileena looked at him from beyond the group hug.  
"Rain…"

He rolled his eyes and walked over to them with open arms.

Mileena jumped giddily.  
"Yay!"

Rain covered her mouth with his index finger before she could get too excited.  
"Let's get one thing straight…"

"All ears." Mileena said with a bright smile.

"I am TIMES hotter than Hanzo."

The squad laughed heartily before colliding in a group hug again.

"Gosh, I'm SO glad that's over. One more lunch with Kung Lao's lame ass jokes and I would have stabbed him with a fork."

"That'll teach you to not keep your new crushes a secret." Tanya said grumpily.

"Word. Remember the no secret oath from last year?" Rain reminded.

"You guys are right. I'm sorry… But anyway, Hanzo is done-zo."

"How so?" Tanya asked.

"Turns out he just broke off a 3 year long term… Uh, can you say huge freaking YIKES?"

"Oooh I need more of that tea." Rain muttered.

"Let's go inside and THEN we'll catch up on the deets." Mileena said excitedly.

She and her friends ran up the porch and into the house, more than ready to chat the day away. 

~~~~~

Jade was exhausted. Seems like this year she really bit off more than she could chew. 

The homework, the extra credit and the 3 TA positions were draining her, as much as she stood by the do-it-all attitude.

The first to notice was Miss Cetrion. 

Yeah, pretty hard not to notice when Jade fell asleep on the desk while grading some papers the teacher asked her to. 

The older woman put a gentle hand on the student's shoulder.  
"Jade…" 

The girl shot up.  
"I'm not sleeping!" 

Cetrion shook her head. 

"I'm so sorry, Miss Cetrion, that won't happen again, don't be mad--" 

"Jade! Calm down… Please… Nothing you do makes me mad."

"Oh good." 

"Except!"

"Oh no."

"...Except the fact that you won't give yourself a break!"

Jade sighed shakily.  
"How can I?"

Cetrion chuckled.  
"How do the others do it?"

"The others aren't worried about getting into a good university with a full scholarship."

"Sweetheart, you are one of the best students this school has ever had. Your recommendations are sheer perfection. You don't have to worry anymore."

Jade fidgeted with a pen nervously.  
"What if I get outdone last minute? We have plenty of valedictorian worthy students… I promised myself I'll be it, Miss, I--... I can't back down."

The teacher thought for a few seconds.  
"I've got a new assignment for you, Jade."

She nodded.  
"Of course."

"You will… Take a weekend completely off studies and work."

Jade's eyes widened.  
"But--"

"No buts! Or else I'll mention your obsessive perfectionism in your recommendations and trust me, no one likes that."

"O-okay…"

"Come on, leave those papers, I'll grade them." Cetrion insisted.

"Thank you… But I don't even know what I'll do with a whole weekend."

The woman sat on the edge of the desk, deep in thought.  
"I've seen how some of your classmates look at you. Maybe you could… Go on a date? I don't know... Say with… Kung Lao."

What Jade didn't know is there's a slight ulterior motive to Cetrion's suggestion.

Like the students, the teachers also participated in some gossip, rumors and bets.

Cetrion, Raiden and Fujin started a small, harmless one about who the valedictorian candidate would end up with.

Cetrion bet on Kung Lao. Fujin - on Kotal. While Raiden was convinced that she'll stay true to her "No romance" rule. 

Jade raised a brow.  
"Miss are you… matchmaking?" She questioned.

The auburn haired teacher's eyes widened.  
"Hmm? No… No no no, of course not. Just a suggestion of a caring teacher." Cetrion said innocently. 

"Mkayyy..? Thank you, ma'am."

"My pleasure, dear. Now go. And I better not see you working in the library."

"Alright! Alright, I'll relax, I promise… Thanks again."

~~~~~

Kung Lao sat in the school cafeteria, watching some meme video on his phone, earbuds in each ear, completely separated from reality.

When suddenly, a shadow loomed over him.

He ignored it for a good 30 seconds, before his earbuds were yanked out, full force. 

The class clown looked up angrily.  
"Hey, what the hell, man--"

Only when he saw the subject of his adoration did his expression soften.  
"Jade--"

"Do you wanna hang out?" She asked, directly, but almost... reluctantly.

"I-- O-of course!" He answered, trying to contain his excitement.

"Just don't make it weird, okay? We'll hang out… As friends… You're gonna help me relax."

"Oooh that's--" 

He started flirtatiously but was quickly interrupted with her clasping his lips shut.

"I said don't make it weird." Jade added.

He raised his hand in defeat.  
"Okay, okay, point taken and well understood."

"Good." She said with a small smile.

Kung Lao stuffed his phone and earbuds into his pocket.  
"What do you wanna do, your majesty?"

She shrugged.  
"I dunno… Can we go to Sub-Zero's?"

"You got it. It's on me." 

The green clad girl rolled her eyes, but chuckled.  
"Sure."

He reached his arm out for her to take. 

"Weird."

He growled, letting it fall at his side.  
"Urgh, FINE."

~~~~~

Once at the ice cream place, they put their orders in and received them soon enough.

Some regulars were surprised to see them together, but Jade was too tired to care.

She grinned absently while Kung Lao told one of his funny stories, but the whipped cream smeared on his upper lip was almost funnier than the story. 

Jade grabbed a napkin out of the bunch and wiped the cream off his mouth as he spoke, catching him off guard.

Kung Lao laughed.  
"How long was that there."

"Since the first sip, piggy."

"And you're just NOW wiping it? Traitor." He said dramatically.

She mustered a chuckle but it morphed into an exhausted yawn. 

He smiled sadly.  
"That tired, huh?"

"Mhm…" She mumbled, head rested on the table.

The boy clicked his tongue.  
"I'm surprised you didn't reach passing out levels of tired before deciding to relax."

"I didn't."

"What?"

"I didn't decide… Miss Cetrion made me take today and the weekend off." She confessed.

Kung Lao couldn't help but laugh.  
"Jesus Christ, Jade."

She peeled herself off the table, massaging her sore neck.  
"Table naps are a no-no."

"I've got a much better pillow." He assured, patting his shoulder.

That earned a glare from her.

"It's not weird!" He claimed.

She sighed, defeated.  
"A short nap sounds good, actually. You aren't in a rush, right?"

"Nope, my shoulder's all yours."

She laughed and moved to sit next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder, exhaling contently. 

"All good?"

"More than. Thank you, Kung Lao."

"Anytime, babe."

"You're a great friend."

His face fell.  
"Yeah… Friend…"

He checked to see if Jade noticed his disappointment… But she had already drifted into peaceful sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone! Enjoy this Halloween chapter.
> 
> As always the link to the Google Doc with the outfits in the fic UPDATED with some Halloween costumes.
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

It was one sunless October morning and the students of Edenia high were slowly flooding the corridors before the start of the school day.

Some - more affected by the dropping temperatures than others.

Cassie practically ran into the building, zooming to the lockers as her teeth chattered.   
"Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold." She whispered, opening her locker and getting a second jacket from it, throwing it over herself.

That amused Frost, whose locker was right beside Cassie's.   
"Are you okay?"

"I'm COLD." The blonde stared her friend up and down. "Aren't you?"

"Not really." She replied with a shrug.

"Jeez…" Cassie muttered, blowing into her hands and rubbing them together. "I'm fucking freezing."

"Not all places are summer 24/7 365, Cali girl, get used to it." Frost reminded.

"Can you like… feel bad for me for once?" Cassie whined. "Empathy? Have you heard of it?"

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"...Meanie."

Just then, the sound of a megaphone rang through the school corridor.   
"Move, peasants, HBICs coming through."  
Tanya called out from it. 

The crowd of kids parted, letting Tanya and Mileena through as they selectively gave out neatly folded, laminated, black and orange envelopes. 

"Not this…" Frost whispered, face-palming.

Mileena perked up when she noticed Cassie, running over to her and Frost.  
"Hey, babes, hope you're ready for the party of the yeeeaaar."

Cassie chuckled.  
"Uuuh, thought that was the sleepover."

"...Party of the moooonth!" The brunette corrected.

She gave out two of the beautiful envelopes to Cassie and Frost. 

"Damn, these are heavy duty, so glad the dream team is back." The blonde complimented.

Mileena winked.  
"You know it, this is also a celebration of our squad's reunion. We booked an entire nightclub. EEEEK! Anyway, the deets are in the invitation!"

The girl laced her arm with Tanya's. "We still have a bunch to give out, soooo, toodles! Wear something sexy!" The latter spoke before they walked off.

Cassie smiled brightly down at the invitation when she noticed Frost was about to rip hers.  
"Woah, woah, woah! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Making origami." The blue haired girl replied sarcastically. 

Cass snatched it out of her hand, making sure that it was still in pristine condition.

"Don't even try and convince m--"

"Oh, I'm gonna! Frost, you're coming to this freaking party."

"B--"

"Zip!"

"...But I--"

"ZIP IT!"

Frost scrunched up her face like a sad child and crossed her arms but decided not to argue further.  
"...Meanie." She said, mirroring Cassie's remark from earlier.

Cassie snort-laughed and ruffled the girl's short hair.  
"You're gonna have fun, for once!"

Jacqui appeared from behind them, throwing her arms around the two girls.  
"Did someone say 'fun'? Whatever it is, I'm in."

Cassie beamed at the football captain's presence.  
"Jacquiiii!"   
The two exchanged a quick, special handshake they came up with during practice. 

Frost raised a brow.  
"Did I stroke out or did you guys stroke out?"

"Whatever, what were you talking about?" Jacqui asked as the three made their way to the classroom.

"Milly's Halloween party."

The brown-skinned girl rubbed her hands together.   
"Ooooh, hell yeah, I don't know about you guys, but I've got my costume ready."

"Speaking of--" 

Suddenly the bell rang and the three sped up to reach the classroom before the teacher did.  
"Okay, you two come to my house later and we'll discuss all of it." Cassie quickly instructed.

~~~~~

Later that day, the trio met at Cassie's place, to further discuss the upcoming party.

They all hung out in the girl's walk-in closet room… or rather closet APARTMENT as the place was HUGE. 

Frost sat on the carpeted floor, legs crossed as she tiredly scrolled through her phone and Jacqui sprawled on the small velvet couch while trying on Cassie's Swarovski heels.   
"God knew to make my feet size 6, I can totally borrow these." The otherwise sporty girl said excitedly as she showed off her legs with the sparkly shoes on. 

"Take them whenever, Jac." Cassie replied absently while deep in the thick wall of clothing, looking for something.  
"AHA!"

"Whatcha find?"

"The costume I planned for whatever Halloween party I would go to this year, it's pretty badass."

Cassie hid behind the velvet curtain of the small fitting area, throwing on the garments.

A few minutes later she drew the curtain and posed, showing off the costume along with a fake, but realistic looking gun.

Jacqui whistled.  
"Arrest meee, officer, I've committed a crime." She joked.

Cassie laughed back, "firing" the gun, revealing that it was just a lighter.   
"Looks good?"

"Badass AND sexy." 

"What're you going as, Jacqui?" The blonde asked.

"Oh, me and Takeda are going as K and J."

Cassie and Frost glanced at each other, confused.

Jacqui's eyes widened.  
"Oh, you gotta be kidding! Hereee come the men in blaaack." She sang, trying to give them a hint.

"I don't watch movies." Frost deadpanned.

"I do, but I haven't seen Men in Black."

The football captain shook her head.  
"Who the hell am I hanging out with?"

Cassie then shifted her attention to Frost, hands on her hips.

"...Oh no…"

"I'll give you one of my old costumes.

"FUCK NO!" Frost shouted, ready to bolt out of the closet room when Jacqui caught her arm and pulled her back full force.

The blue haired girl stood no chance as she fell back into the room.  
"...I hate you."

"I'll have to look in the other closet to find it, Jacqui, don't let her get away." Cassie ordered.

"You got it, boss." 

"Yeah, hello, 911, I'm being held against my will." Frost complained, mid fake call.

"I'm the only police officer here, sweetie." Cassie announced proudly before walking off to get the other costume. 

Some time later she returned with a bag and handed it to Frost before shoving her into the fitting area.  
"Put it on!"

Frost whined loudly but stepped behind the curtain anyway.

Cassie and Jacqui heard the rustling of the clothes mixed with Frost's colorful language but soon after she stepped out in the fitted, metallic fairy outfit. 

The two girls gasped at the sight of their friend.

"How the hell are you rocking this better than I did?"

"Cassie, no, I look RIDICULOUS."

"You look HOT."

"The lining is too short, my whole ass is out."

"To be fair, I wore it when I was 15 and I was even shorter than you, so at most, it was supposed to be cute..." Cassie circled Frost, smiling brightly. "But you're making it sexy."

The azure haired girl stayed quiet.

"PLEASE, wear it to the party."

"...Fine."

Cass jumped up and down, cheering.  
"WOOO! We're out of her comfort zone, finally."

"But this is the LAST party I'm letting you drag me to! If I don't want to go, then I DON'T want to go." 

"Okay, deal, whatever!"

The two girls shook on it and Cassie beamed once again.

"This party is going to SOMETHING."

~~~~~

They made it to October 31st, Halloween and consequently, the day of the party.

As promised, Mileena and Tanya booked one lavish nightclub for it. 

Getting it ready was quite a chore but Mileena and her squad managed to get it done, with time to spare to get into their Halloween attire.

Mileena and Tanya rushed downstairs from the second floor of the nightclub after changing into their respective Catwoman and Playboy bunny costumes. 

"There they are." Rain said with a smirk as he gave each of them a hand and had them twirl for him. "You girls look… Wow…"

Tanya chuckled.  
"Control the horny, there'll be time for it. Why aren't you changed yet?"

His eyes widened.  
"What do you mean? I AM changed."

"You dressed as… Yourself?" Mileena clarified. 

"I'm dressed as a stereotypical frat boy, duh!"

"Rain, you ARE a stereotypical frat boy, minus the frat." The girls said, laughing heartily. 

The boy put a hand on his chest, pretending to be offended.  
"I… I feel attacked."

"Where's Baraka?" 

"Chef is over there by the DJ booth." 

Mileena nodded and walked off to talk to him, not before witnessing as Rain pulled Tanya close by her small waist, playing with her bunny tail.

"Rain, stop~." 

So much for postponing the horniness. 

The brunette approached Baraka quietly.  
"Boo!"

But he didn't flinch, instead he turned to her and placed two pieces of bread on either of her cheeks.  
"What are you?!"

"An idiot sandwich." She replied, playing along. "Are you gonna carry that bread all night just for people to get the Gordon Ramsay joke?" 

"Well… Yeah." 

She giggled.  
"You're too cute."

The muscle of the squad smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What time is it, my phone's not on me." She asked.

"Uh… 7:08."

Mileena jumped.  
"People are about to arrive!"

~~~~~

First to arrive were Liu Kang and Kung Lao of all people.

Liu Kang - in some pretty convincing knight gear. While Kung Lao was simply bodypainted as a skeleton.

Mileena stared him up and down.  
"There was… No attempt."

"Hey! Says the Walmart Catwoman."

"At least I look sexy."

"I'm shirtless, how much sexier does it get." He boasted, flexing his painted biceps a bit.

"I--... I'm outta here. Enjoy the party."

Steadily, guests poured in and Mileena was seizing the fruits of her labor as everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

But a few guests were still missing. Particularly, her sister and her best friend who should have arrived like ages ago.

Liu Kang tapped the host on the shoulder.  
"Hey, uhm, so… Where's your sister?" He asked.

"That's what I'm wondering t--"

Just then the nightclub doors opened and Kitana entered shyly.

More shy than usual as all eyes were in her in her stunning Princess costume.

Time stilled for Liu Kang. She looked… like the most beautiful human being ever.

Not that she wasn't every single day, at least to him.

"W-wow…" He whispered.

His best friend snort-laughed at his reaction.  
"Someone bring the wet floor sign, this man is drooling."

Just then Jade appeared from behind Kitana, dressed in a similar fashion, but resembling a Masquerade attendee more, with an elegant mask to go along with her Victorian look. 

"H-holy shit…" Kung Lao whispered breathlessly.

"Who's drooling now." Liu Kang shot back before going to greet the girls.

Kitana beamed as she saw him.  
"H-hey, Liu."

He knelt in front of her.  
"Your Highness…"

She giggled.  
"You may rise now, sir."

"Royalty like yourself should not be left unattended…" Liu Kang offered her his arm. "Shall I offer thee a drink?"

Kitana took it gladly.  
"You shall." The girl looked back at her best friend. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

"Have fun, have fun." Jade insisted.

The pair walked off and she smiled after them.

Urgh. So cute.

She saw Kung Lao amongst the crowd and figured, sooner or later he'd approach her anyway, might as well get it over with.

Jade curtsied, appropriate to her costume as she greeted him.  
"Good evening."

"Evening, babe."

She rolled her eyes.  
"I told you not to call me that."

"Force of habit." He looked down at his painted body. "Don't you just wanna hug me right now?"

"HELL no, you better stay away from this dress."

He took a step forward.

"Lao!"

And another, arms open.

She couldn't help but laugh as she sprinted away.  
"I'm serious!"

Kung Lao took off after her, chasing her through the non-bustling corners of the nightclub. 

Jade screeched as he almost rubbed his hand on the fabric of her skirt when Kotal appeared in front of her out of nowhere and she instinctively hid behind him.  
"Kotal, Kotal, save me!" She shouted, jokingly.

"Woah, woah, what's going on here?" He laughed. "Is he causing you trouble, fair lady?"

Jade pouted and nodded, still seeing it as part of the joke.

Kung Lao's laughter ceased and his mood did a 180.  
"Yeah, no, uh… We were just messing around." He mumbled.

"Are you okay, Lao?" Jade asked worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah, M'fine… Gonna go get a drink, you want something?" He asked, changing the topic.

"I'll be right there, give me a sec." 

Kung Lao walked off and Jade couldn't help but feel guilty at the sudden swing of his mood. She just didn't think they couldn't go one day without jealousy.

"You look great." Kotal complimented.

"Hm? Oh, yeah." She giggled, fixing her mask. "Thank you. Why aren't you in a costume."

"I'm dressed as the guy who doesn't dress up for Halloween because he'd rather just interact with his friends comfortably."

She smirked.  
"Very specific. But it suits you."

"Why thank you, I pondered over it for hours." Kotal joked.

He eyed her up and down.  
"But wow, you… You're just beautiful."

"I… I'll go grab that drink, I am one parched woman right now." She excused herself awkwardly.

"Sure." Kotal said with a smile.

Which quickly faded once she was out of sight...

~~~~~

Cassie and Frost arrived together, as planned the night before, while Jacqui declined, meeting with Takeda instead, their costumes being coordinated.

Cass admired the outside of the nightclub, entrance framed with 4 projectors beaming in different directions, while the walls were lined with multicoloured neon lights. Blue, purple, red.

She was about to head to the entrance when she noticed that Frost stayed behind, hesitation on her face. 

"What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know… I still think I look ridiculous."

Cassie groaned, throwing her head back.  
"Girl. You look amazing. Own that. You're SEXY. And that's exactly how the hosts of this party told us to dress. You're gonna knock them all dead… Especially you-know-who--"

Frost blushed deeply.  
"Okay, okay, let's just go."

Once in, the girls were noticed by Mileena who put aside her drink and squeezed through the crowd towards them.  
"Good evening, girrrrlies~" She meowed out in her Catwoman costume. 

Cassie chuckled at her.   
"No sharp objects allowed in this establishment, ma'am." She said in her best cop voice, pointing at the girl's claws. 

"Purrr, officer, let it slide this time." Mileena joked back.

She shifted her attention to Frost, who was standing shyly behind Cassie.

"Oooh, you look rrrrravishing, may I make a wish~?" Mileena said flirtatiously. 

Frost rolled her eyes.  
"Keep working on that cat voice."

The brunette dropped the act and rolled her eyes.  
"Anyway, you girls look great, go mingle, drink, have fun. There's a private lounge upstairs if anyone needs it." She mentioned with a wink.

Cassie and Frost moved along.  
"See? You look great. Even Mileena said so."

"She's not some kind of fashion authority to me. But, yeah… I guess."

They pushed through the crowd when suddenly Frost felt someone grope her behind. 

She jumped.  
"Eeek!"

Tanya and Rain laughed as they faced the fairy.   
"Oops! Sorry, Frosty, I didn't even know it was you, I just saw a cute ass and had to feel it." The playboy bunny explained with a laugh.

"Looking good, Frost." Rain complimented before the pair continued dancing.

Frost disregarded that and moved along with Cassie.  
"Yikes. I hate this. I hate this so much."

"You are impossible." Cassie whispered. "Now, I won't be policing you, pun intended, all night so just PLEASE try to have fun."

Frost sighed and nodded.  
"I'll try." She promised.

With that they parted and Cassie took off in search of trouble.

…Or rather troublemaker.

She found who she was unknowingly looking for by the bar counter.

No one is surprised.

By the looks of it he was dressed as a cowboy sheriff.

Very apt, he already had the hat and all.

Cassie climbed onto the bar stool next to him and stared at him with narrowed eyes.  
"This town ain't big enough for the both of us, Sheriff." She joked. 

Erron looked pleasantly surprised at her presence.   
"Gonna arrest me, officer?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"How annoying you are tonight."

"Oooh, I'll try my hardest then."

She rolled her eyes.  
"Nice costume."

"Thanks. You should see the other two." He said, pointing at his friends who were arm wrestling on the other end of the bar counter.

Kano - dressed as a pirate and Kabal as a masked psycho killer.

"Pirate? Serial killer? Looks like I'll be making a lot of arrests tonight." She joked, pulling out her fake gun.

He chuckled and grabbed a cigarette out of his pack.  
"Put it to use."

She pouted, helping him light it up.  
"How'd you know it was a lighter."

"Lucky guess." He muttered, the cigarette between his lips.

Just then a bouncer tapped him on a shoulder.  
"No smoking inside, dude."

Erron nodded and got off his seat.  
"I'll be right back." He told the blonde.

"Just stay outside, the club will be a better place for it." She joked. 

"Sure, Princess, Sure." The Texan replied with a smirk before making his way out.

Cassie shook her head and left the counter to go greet others… Only to come face to face with Skarlet.  
"Oh! Hey, Skarlet, nice vampire costume." The blonde complimented genuinely. 

"Woman to woman… I'm warning you." The redhead started in her thick eastern European accent. "Stay away from him. Guys like him in general."

Cassie chuckled.  
"What? Ew! No way, it's not what you think--."

"I've seen this pattern before. Felt it on myself. It's what he does. Be careful, Cassie. He's… not a good guy. None of the BD are."

With that Skarlet pushed past her, sipping her punch as if she didn't just say the most ominous shit ever.

Cassie thought over her words. Her judgement couldn't be very fair, she broke up with 2 out of 3 of those guys… She must be pissed.

Not that any of it mattered.

Cassie was just joking around with the guy. The idea of any romantic prospects with him made her GAG. 

Ew, no thanks.

She needs a drink.

~~~~~

Frost felt a bit lost without her social butterfly of a friend.

Just stood around, occasionally feeling glances darting to her exposed legs.

She just stared into her glass of punch, counting the ripples in the rhythm of the blaring music.

"Hey." Someone told her.

The blue haired girl snapped out of her trance and turned to the source of the greeting.

Frost furrowed her brows.  
"Kuai? What the hell are you supposed to be?" She asked. 

The boy looked down at himself.  
"Ain't it obvious? Me and Hanzo are ninjas."

The girl snort-laughed.  
"I've never seen a bright blue ninja… Doesn't seem very effective." She sassed, sipping her drink.

"You're as blunt as ever."

She shrugged.  
"And you approached me just to remind me?"

Kuai raised his hands defensively.  
"Okay… Take two. Me, Bi Han and Sareena are gonna hang out upstairs around one of the VIP tables, do you… maybe…"

He assumed she'd guess the rest of the offer. 

"Maybe what?"

"Wanna join?" 

Frost gulped heavily. Why would he offer HER that of all people.

"I-- I guess..?"

He smiled, relieved.   
"Cool."

"From the lack of better options, that is." She added coldly.

Kuai Liang rolled his eyes.  
"Of course, I wouldn't assume otherwise." He replied, playing along. "You… You look great by the way."

"Urgh, just lead the way." She mumbled, discarding his compliment.

He did just that, leading her up the black spiral staircase to the balcony-like area with glass coffee tables and leather bean bags for seats. 

Bi Han and Sareena were already seated, with the latter in the former's lap, the couple dressed as Harley Quinn and the Joker.

She sure hoped the pair weren't as toxic as the people they cosplayed as.

Frost greeted them with a small wave and Sareena returned it enthusiastically while Bi Han just nodded at her.

As she sank in one of the bean bags, she thought back to the conversation she eavesdropped on weeks earlier.

And she still had no idea what they were talking about and who that "She" was. 

Frost would rather bury herself alive than admit she was envious of that unidentified girl and whatever was up with her.

She was once again pulled out of her thoughts as Sareena offered a game of never have I ever.

The blue haired girl sure hoped she wouldn't be sacrificed to some demon by the gothic couple at the end of the game.

Her concerns seemed irrelevant as it flowed quite well… The group even shared a few laughs.

Up until Frost started feeling uncomfortable because of the lining of her costume constantly riding up, almost fully exposing her legs.

Kuai Liang caught on to her discomfort, silently handing her his jacket that was hanging uselessly on the balcony railing.

The girl eyed him suspiciously but he pointedly stared at her legs and insisted on the jacket.

She exhaled shakily and took the garment, wrapping it around her waist.  
"Thank you…" She whispered.

The brunette boy smiled at her warmly before returning to the game.

A smile that would have probably made her go weak in the knees if she wasn't sitting.

Urgh… Why did he have to be so goddamn perfect?

~~~~~

Cassie quietly watched as Jacqui and Takeda tried their best to rap and sing the men in black song. But she just couldn't focus on it after Skarlet's ominous warning. 

She still had little to no trust towards Erron and his friends, couldn't explain why they were so nice to her. There had to be a reason. But a part of her was warming up to them and she didn't know how it would end for her, though she tried not to think about it.

"Sooo?" Jacqui asked after their performance.

"Hm? Oh that was cool, you guys… I'll go get my drink refilled."

Takeda and Jacqui eyed Cassie, then each other, shrugging at her weird behaviour.

The blonde made her way towards the drinks when someone pulled her aside.

"Princess, I need assistance." Erron said excitedly.

"Uuuh… What? What for?"

"Okay, so, Mileena talked everyone's ears off about some private lounge upstairs and it's for… You know…"

Cassie's eyes widened.  
"You got me fucked up if you think I would ever want to--"

"No! What?! That's not what I meant. There's gotta be some champagne or something in that room that we can be brought downstairs. But I need your help."

She blinked, proper confused.  
"Why mine?"

"You have a bobby pin. The door's locked for some reason."

"I can just give it to you, why should I come with you?" Cassie asked.

"If you want to hear Takeda poorly rap to Men in black for the third time then sure, pass me the thingie and go." Erron replied.

"...Okay, fuck it, I'm in."

He smirked.  
"Good girl."

The two of them snuck up the stairs and Cassie saw Frost hanging out with the brothers and Sareena on the way to the lounge.

She was proud of her friend which one couldn't say was a mutual feeling as Frost seemed extremely worried once she noticed Cassie with Erron.  
"Where are you going?!" She mouthed.

The blonde gestured that everything was okay before disappearing down the corridor of the second floor with Erron.

They reached a black door at the end of it.  
"Okay, Princess, give me your pin."

Once she handed it to him, he got to work on the lock.  
"Why the hell would Mileena mention this room so much of it was locked." He complained.

Cassie rolled her eyes.  
"What are we gonna do if there isn't anything to take. How are we gonna explain coming up here."

He smirked.  
"I mean… We can always say we came to make out--"

"Absolutely not."

"--Alright, got it."

And after that awkward exchange the lock clicked and the door opened…

...To reveal Rain and Tanya passionately making out in the room.

"What the fuck?!" The girl shouted, peeling herself off Rain.

Cassie gasped.  
"Guys, we're so sorry."

"Jeez, you two, wait for your turn, maybe?!" Rain yelled at them. 

"No, that's not why--."

"We were here to steal stuff." 

"Close the goddamn door!" Tanya screamed. 

Erron yanked the door shut. 

And him and Cassie burst out laughing.

They left the two alone and made their way downstairs, still snickering from the ridiculousness of the situation.

"That was… Not what I expected." He mumbled.

"My poor eyeballs." Cassie replied, rubbing her eyes.

"So, that went up in flames… Still, thanks for the help," Erron said with a smile, handing her the pin back.

His hand lingering on hers for a few seconds.

The blonde chuckled.   
"Yeah… I'll uh… I'll go find my friends now."

Erron nodded.  
"I should probably do that too. Thanks again." He said with a wink.

"Yeah… See ya."

She pushed past him and walked towards Jacqui and Takeda, a blush on her face from the heated events.

Maybe she really should be careful…


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooooo, everyone. I just wanna say I'm really grateful for how understanding my readers are and how sorry I am my updating schedule is so bad. On top of being slightly depressed I've been very stressed with work that has picked up since the war ended, everyone gotta mind their business now
> 
> But here's the long postponed update! I'll try to keep the updates more regular from now on
> 
> Link to the Google doc with the characters outfits is below as always
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

With all the crazy shenanigans Cassie's classmates caused her, it almost seemed like she never got to just sit down and do homework. 

She decided to do it first thing Saturday morning, motivated to complete the piled up tasks.

The cold November day was perfect for staying walled up in one's room anyway. 

A few hours in she realized she had stacked on… A little too much for comfort.

Jeeesus, was this amount even legal? Someone should tell Professor Raiden that homo sapiens need rest. 

But alas, with deadlines looming over her she had no choice but to keep at it.

With Cassie's earphones blasting some pop ballad from her studying playlist, while she doused the pages of her history book in yellow highlighter for an essay due in less than a day, she didn't notice her mom come in.

"Knock, knock." The older woman said with a small smile.

The greeting fell on deaf ears and Sonya approached her daughter and lightly tapped the latter's slender shoulder.

The younger blonde flinched and put a hand on her chest.  
"Jeez, mom you scared me." 

Cassie assessed her mother's formal looking attire.  
"Oooh what's the gown about? You and dad going somewhere?"

Sonya sighed tiredly.   
"There's a film history museum opening downtown tonight. We're attending."

Cassie nodded and put her earbud back in.  
"Cool, see ya guys." 

She noticed, while picking her highlighter back up that the woman's gaze didn't leave her. 

"You're coming too, Cass."

Her eyes widened.  
"What?!" She whined loudly. "Do I have to?"

"Your dad really wants all of us there."

Cassie groaned and threw her head back.   
"Uuuurgh! I've got school work to force myself through! Like… Stat!"

Sonya grimaced.  
"Find an hour or two, your dad's real psyched about showing up as a family." 

"How psyched?" She asked worriedly. 

Sonya pinched the bridge of her nose.   
"Singing-'We-Are-Family'-while-picking-out-his-suit psyched…" 

"Darn it." Cassie sighed. "Okayyyyy I'll try to get this taken care of." She said, patting her history book.

"I'll talk to your dad about sending you home sooner so you can work." Sonya assured.

"That'd be great. Thanks, mom."

"Just join us downstairs when you're ready." Sonya replied with an accomplished grin, ruffling her daughter's hair.

Cassie sighed and rolled away from her desk in her office chair, dialling someone for assistance. 

Seconds later her call was answered.

"Hello?"

"Heeeyyyy, Frost… My bestiiie, my favorite blue-haired comrade... Remember how I TOTALLY supported you through trouble on several occasions--"

"What do you want, Cass?" Frost interrupted.

"Gosh, thanks, that was painful."

"Yeah, it was." The girl confirmed with a chuckle.

"Okay, here's the thing, my parents are dragging me to some opening event for a yada yada, I didn't even catch that but like the history essay is due uuuh… TOMORROW and I really need help…" Cassie explained, panic in her tone. 

"Oof." The girl on the other end whispered.

"Don't 'oof' me, help me out!"

"...What's it to me." 

"Uh… The peace of knowing you helped a friend out..?" 

Frost snort-laughed.  
"Alright, fine. I turned mine in days ago anyway." 

Cassie exhaled, relieved.   
"Gosh, Frost, you're a lifesaver."

"Yeah, yeah, just don't go sappy mode."

The two friends hung up and the blonde hurried to get ready for the event.

Neither Cassie nor her mother particularly shared the family patriarch's passion for film. But they always tried to keep him feeling appreciated in his art, even if it meant going to those pretentious galleries from time to time.

Cassie especially disliked it due to the general… demographic of such events. Rich old snobs that looked like they'd watch public executions for fun and the aesthetic of it all.

Urgh… The girl was NOT excited. 

Still wishing to look presentable, she threw on a simple little black dress and tied her hair up in a sophisticated high ponytail.

Feeling pretty in her low effort look, Cassie took the time to snap a quick picture in her bedroom mirror and upload it to her social media. 

Something the fancy-shmancy attendees of the gallery opening would probably criticize.

While she was gathering some essentials in her purse, her phone buzzed, she quicy checked it, despite the rush.

"Great look, whose funeral is the occasion?" Erron replied to her story. 

Cassie snort-laughed.  
"That block button looking real good right now, huckleberry."

"the dress lacks some much needed slits 👀"

"Ew wtf 💀💀💀" She texted with a grimace.

"Sry, Kano's dumb ass took my phone."

"Yea suuure……. 😒"

"Not that he's wrong."

"Screw off, Erron." Cassie replied one last time before throwing her phone into her purse.

What a doofus…

Afterwards, the teen hopped downstairs to her parents.

"Theeere she is!" Johnny exclaimed affectionately. 

The youngest Cage beamed and twirled for her parents.  
"Do I look okay?" 

"You both look like a million bucks."

Sonya chuckled.  
"A million each or combined?" The older woman joked, crossing her arms. 

"Okay, okay, my weird wording of that compliment aside, let's get going, I don't wanna miss the ribbon." The man said excitedly, rushing out of the front door.

"He's like a toddler sometimes." His wife pointed out.

"Mooom…"

"What? It's true!"

"Just let him have this."

The Cage matriarch chuckled and pushed her daughter towards the front door.  
"Fine, fine. Off you go."

~~~~~

The Cage family arrived at the floodlight lit building. A modest red carpet led up to it and a moderately big crowd was waiting outside for the museum doors to open. 

The three of them stepped out onto the walkway and Cassie's line of sight flooded with camera flashes. 

Oh. Yeah. Another reason why she hated joining her parents during events like this. 

Nonetheless, she posed for a few pictures with her father, she looked good, might as well be in an article or two.

Soon after, the opening ceremony began. Seeing Johnny in the crowd, the museum director offered him to do the honors.

The actor reacted professionally, but Sonya and Cassie knew he was squealing internally. 

Once the ribbon was cut and the doors opened, the crowd of attendees poured into the building.

Excited to both witness the exhibit and get away from the biting cold outside. 

As expected, Cassie was bored out of her mind.

She honestly wished she was at home doing her work in peace, instead of being "introduced" to her family's influential acquaintances who all claimed to have known her when she was just a baby. 

And the expression on her mom's face told her that she too would prefer literally any other place to this. 

At one point Cassie decided to separate from her parents and to explore the newly opened museum on her own.

Those inanimate paintings, photographs and props had ten times the personality of any of those aristocrats anyway. 

The blonde quite liked the museum itself. Cool little trinkets from different movie sets under glass domes, giving everyone a glimpse of the filmmaking process.

But with the subpar attention span of anyone her age, Cassie's boredom soon returned.

She pulled her phone out of her purse and checked the timeline.

"You never told me who died.." Erron messaged her again.

"I wasn't going to a funeral ffs 💀💀"

"Lmao"

Cassie looked around before sighing and texting him again.  
"Sure feels like one though."

"Look who's chatty now."

"You texted me first, corn husk, I didn't even know you were following me on here."

"You ain't following me back? Rude."

"🙄🙄🙄"

casssie_cage followed you.

"Happy now?"

"Ecstatic."

"Don't burst from excitement down there 🙃." Cassie couldn't help but laugh at her own cocky remark.

"Ouch. Your point."

"Get used to it, Black."

"I just might."

"I wish you could see my tremendous eye roll right now."

"As lovely as that sounds, I gtg, Princess, condolences to the deceased's loved ones 😔"

"I'm not at a fucking funeral!!!!!! Whatever BYE" She wrote before throwing her phone back into her bag.

She returned her attention to the exhibit and rounded a display of a half demolished concrete wall, possibly from some action movie… But she sure didn't expect to see a familiar face behind it.  
"Kuai?" 

The boy's eyes widened as he noticed his classmate.  
"Cassie, hey!" Her teammate gave her a quick hug. "Didn't think anyone under 45 would be here, let alone someone I knew." 

"Same." She said with a chuckle. "You're being generous with that age though." Giving him a once over, she noted his neat suit. "Faaaancy."

The boy chuckled, fixing his tie dramatically.  
"Why thank you."

Cassie crossed her arms.  
"I assume you've been dragged here against your will too." She joked.

Kuai Liang shrugged.  
"Yes and no." He looked around in search of his company. "Oh, there are my captors."

The blonde looked off to see the devoted couple, Bi Han and Sareena, chatting by a noir film poster.

"Sareena's a huge fan of film history. Acting has been her dream job since forever. My brother surprised her with invitations to this event." 

Cassie pouted.  
"That's soooo romantic." She swooned.  
"They're so in love."

"Yeah, I've seen more than enough of their PDA to confirm." Kuai Liang replied, shuddering.

Cassie laughed and shoved him lightly.  
"Easy for the third wheel to say."

He pretended to be offended.  
"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She laughed.

Kuai Liang shoved her right back.  
"I was invited too, thank you very much."

The blonde snort laughed.  
"Last I checked, you didn't even like your brother."

"Sareena wanted me to join, not Bi Han. Hell, she's somewhat like a sister in law for me already."

Cassie raised her brow.  
"Damn, Is it that serious between them?" She said half-jokingly.

Kuai looked back at the pair  
"You have no idea." He answered, very much serious, before continuing with a shake of his head. "This is weird, I don't wanna gossip about them."

"No, no, you're good. It's just… interesting to see." She crossed her arms and laughed. "Can't say I'm not a tiny bit jealous."

He returned his attention to Cassie and smirked knowingly.  
"Ooooh, do you mean with… You know." 

She blinked at him, confused.  
"What?"

"I mean… The Halloween party…"

"Uuuh, still blank."

Kuai Liang inhaled sharply.  
"Oh! Oh uhm… I guess I misunderstood. Disregard that--" He held back from his assumptions and pushed past her onto an open air balcony.

She hurried after him for answers.  
"Wait, what do you mean?!"

"N-nothing, it's dumb and you're probably gonna crack my skull open." He said, unable to contain his laughter.

"Wh--?! I'm so confused."

"I just assumed because--.. during Mileena's party when I saw you and Erron leaving that private lounge I thought you two were… occupying it." He spat out awkwardly.

Cassie's jaw hung open and she repeatedly smacked Kuai Liang.  
"Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! No! Nah uh!"

Her friend covered his head trying to avoid her punches.  
"Sorry! See, I knew I misinterpreted." 

"Urgh. GROSS."

Cassie turned away from him, hands on her hips as she tried to erase that visual.

What's with people assuming she would ever associate with Erron like that… First Skarlet, now Kuai Liang.

The boy nudged her side apologetically.  
"Sorry."

She sighed and pinched his cheek.  
"You're lucky you're so likable."

The two of them laughed off his assumptions, to her absolute relief. 

Kuai Liang walked off towards the balcony railing, leaning against it thoughtfully.

She settled next to him.  
"Someone's deep in thought."

"Can I ask you a question, Cassie?" 

"Go ahead." She replied friendly.

"So uhm… You're close with Frost."

Oh boy. Come on, Cassie, focus your blonde little head on not spilling about her crush on him.  
"M-Mhm."

"Has she ever… Mentioned why she hates me so much? Besides the stupid academic rivalry?"

"Nonsense! She doesn't hate you, you silly goose!" She replied, her voice going into a weird high pitch from trying to hold her tongue.

God she's a terrible liar.

Silly goose?! Seriously?!

He rolled his eyes.  
"Oh really? Is that why she stole the jacket I offered her during the Halloween party?"

Cassie felt her eye twitch from the stupidity of those two.

Frost's idiocy being that she took his freaking jacket because she's whipped.

And his tomfoolery being that he doesn't understand why she would take it in the first place.

What's not clicking?!

"Was it something I said..?" He asked absently.

"M-maybe she just forgot to give it back?"

Kuai Liang shrugged.  
"Could be. I just thought this year we were gonna get past this. Especially after the Halloween party." He clicked his tongue. "Guess I was wrong."

The sadness in his voice touched Cassie.

Does he… like Frost back?

Wishful thinking on her part.

"Why do you think so?" Cassie asked curiously.

"She's ignoring me like ten times worse than before."

Why that little--

The girl barely kept her mouth shut.

He laughed sadly.  
"Makes me wonder if I really am, like you said, likeable at all if someone despises me so much."

The blonde wrapped her arm around his shoulder gently.  
"Oh, brother." She couldn't help but mutter, exhausted from their cluelessness. 

"What is it?" He asked with a raised brow.

Cassie exhaled shakily. At this point she'd be doing both of them a favour if she revealed the truth.  
"Look, Kuai--" But just then, her phone rang.

It was her mom.

"Give me a second. Hello?" 

"Cass, where are you?! We're looking for you all over, I got worried."

"Sorry, mom, I'll be right there." The girl replied hurriedly before throwing her phone back into the small handbag.  
"Gotta go dude." Cassie told Kuai Liang apologetically.

"What were you gonna tell me?" He asked hopefully.

Cassie gulped heavily.

Either she betrays her friend's trust for her own good or keeps her mouth shut and lets things happen naturally.

Maybe it's just not her place.  
"I was gonna say… Don't worry about it. She'll come around."

Kuai Liang smiled at her.  
"Hope you're right." 

With that the two classmates parted ways and Cassie rejoined her parents downstairs.

"Where were you?" The older woman whispered while the two watched Johnny give a small speech with the museum director.

"Just ran into someone."

While everyone was focused on her dad's speech, Cassie looked off absent-mindedly, wondering if she made the right call.

No, yeah, of course she did.

At the end of the day… It wasn't for her to confess. It was for Frost.

~~~~~

The next day Cassie was able to return to her homework and hope it remained uninterrupted.

Although, as much as she tried to focus on the task at hand, her mind kept circling back to her encounter with Kuai Liang.

She even messaged Frost in the morning, telling her they needed to talk… and to ask her about the essay, of course.

But, strangely, she didn't get a reply.

Cassie decided to just return to her assignments when suddenly her mom's voice called out from downstairs.   
"Cass, someone's here to see you!"

The blonde raised a brow. Weird, she didn't remember inviting anyone.  
"Coming!"

She hurried downstairs to see Frost waiting beside Sonya by the front door.

"Make yourself at home, sweetheart."

"Thank you, ma'am." The girl said shyly.

Jeez, she could fake one hell of a timid demeanor, Cassie thought.

"Heyyy… I uh… didn't expect you."

Frost crossed her arms.  
"Yeah. Me neither."

"What're--"

"Can we talk in private?" She asked calmly.

"Sure, let's go to my room."

The friends hopped upstairs and Cassie let Frost in, before entering the room and shutting the door behind herself.  
"Sooo what did you--"

"What the hell is this, Cassie?!" The blue haired girl asked, quickly losing the calm attitude as she presented her friend with her phone, some tabloid tweet open on the screen. 

Cassie's eyes widened as she read the title of the article about "Actor Johnny Cage's daughter and her suitor."

God, did journalists really have nothing better to do?!

She snatched the phone right out of Frost's hand and opened the article and saw photos of her and Kuai hugging by the wall they ran into each other at, as well as a photo of them with her supportive arm around his shoulder… Which, now that she looked at it, could be easily misinterpreted.  
"Oh no… Frost--"

"So that's what you asked me to help you with homework for…" She mumbled coldly.

"This is absolutely NOT what it looks like!" 

"What the fuck is it then?!"

"I-- We just ran into each other! We were just talking. Frost I would never--"

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you with that… O-or at all." Frost said angrily, her voice breaking at the last words.

Cassie grabbed her shoulders.  
"Stop! Please, just hear me out, this was about--"

"How could you do this to me?!" 

Cassie stared at her guest in shock.

This is probably the most emotional she's seen her azure-haired friend.

Frost was about to storm out when Cassie grabbed her arm.  
"If anything will make you listen, it's this. While we chatted, YOU'RE all he could talk about."

The shorter girl wiped her eyes.  
"...Why?"

"WELL FIRSTLY because you stole his freaking jacket and he was upset and AGAIN thought you hated him!"

Frost crossed her arms.  
"So what? If I'm lucky he'll keep thinking so until we part paths and I won't have to… deal with… whatever those butterflies in my stomach are doing."

"You're diverting from the fact that you STOLE HIS FREAKING JACKET!" The blonde shouted, somewhat amused.

Her friend pouted.  
"And YOU'RE DIVERTING FROM THE FACT THAT I'M MAD AT YOU." 

Cassie grabbed her shoulders once again.  
"Okay, look. I would never… ever, ever, ever, EVER… Try anything with him, especially knowing just how into him you are."

"Am I though?" Frost mumbled.

Cassie blinked.  
"Girl. You stole. His freaking. Jacket. To… I don't know, probably sleep in it."

Frost face-palmed herself.  
"God… You're right."

"As always."

"...It's so soft."

"-- I REALLY don't need the details of your obsessive behaviour."

Frost plopped down face first on Cassie's bed, groaning, while Cass picked the former's phone back up to look at the stupid gossip article.  
"How'd you even find this?"

"Tanya retweeted it…" Frost said, her face still pressed against Cassie's pillows.

"Of-fucking-course." Cassie cursed angrily.

Frost shifted into a seated position and hugged her knees to her chest.  
"I'm sorry. I should have known better."

"Don't apologize. I know this seemed messed up. But his mind was too preoccupied with you anyway." Cassie mentioned with a wink.

Frost growled.  
"What gives?! I'm taking this stupid crush to my grave…"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Cassie said, standing up enthusiastically. "This is the inception of my plan of getting you two together. Enough hate/love. It's LOVE love time."

"...That was awful."

"I'll workshop it. Look, what matters is, we're doing this. Hopefully it'll drive the point further that I would never EVER violate girl code like that."

Her friend smiled… like… genuinely.  
"I know you wouldn't."

Cassie beamed and opened her arms up for a hug.

Frost rolled her eyes but locked into the embrace. 

They hugged in silence for a few seconds before Cassie cleared her throat.  
"Quick question uhm… Did you get to finish the essay before getting extremely mad at me?" She asked awkwardly.

"I uh… deleted it in a fit of rage."

"...Shit."

~~~~~

The black dragon clique always started their Sunday in the abandoned bar they've rebuilt as their hide-out.

It was a nice man-cave away from their families and the naysayers who thought all three of them belonged in juvie for their vandalism. 

Kano and Erron were slumped down on a pair of bean bags, playing video games, since morning when Kabal marched downstairs, funeral music playing from his phone.

Erron glanced back at him momentarily.  
"Who you mourning?"

"Not 'who' but rather 'what'... Mourning your master plan of humiliating Cage."

Erron paused the game, earning Kano's complaints, before whipping around to face his friend.  
"What?"

Kabal shrugged.  
"See for yourself."

Erron grabbed the phone and stared at their classmate Tanya's retweet of some article.

"Yikes, not my couple predictions being off 😔😔 @cutie_milly @rrr-ain"

"What the fuck?" Erron mumbled.

Kano peeked at the phone screen.  
"Well. Guess Golden girl is with Golden boy." He clicked his tongue. "Sucks that the prank is off--"

"Shut up, nothing is off." Erron said, almost threateningly.

Kabal punched his shoulder.  
"Relax, we'll think of something else, it's not the end of the world."

Kano narrowed his eyes at Erron.  
"Unless… The prank's not what you're pissed about." He said with a smirk.

"The hell are you talking about? Of course that's what I'm pissed about." He gritted his teeth. "I almost got it too…"

"Yeah, right." The Aussie replied sarcastically before returning to the game.  
"There'll be a chance to shag some other blondie if that's what you're dreading, dime a dozen, mate."

Erron grabbed Kano's collar, and to the latter's shock, lifted him right off the beanbag.  
"Watch your fucking mouth."

Erron threw him back down in his seat and stomped over to the bar counter, pouring himself a drink.  
"Dickhead."

Kabal followed him.  
"Can't say I'm surprised she'd choose someone like him over someone like you. He's smarter, more attractive, has a job, isn't planning to publicly humiliate her--"

Erron glared at him, slamming his glass down.

"...Okay, I'll stop."

The Texan sighed. "She's friends with that son of a bitch. A shot of them hugging doesn't mean anything."

Kabal crossed his arms.  
"Sooo the prank is still on. Why are you so pissed, then?"

Erron downed his drink.  
"It just-- didn't make sense in my head, that's all.

"Yeah. Even I could have sworn you had her whipped."

"I do." Erron said with a growl in his voice. "You'll see, okay? All this so far… Wasn't even me trying." He bragged.

Kabal looked at him worriedly.  
"Sure, dude, sure just… Don't overdo it. You don't want this backfiring."

"Don't worry. I got this." He smirked.  
"Cage is mine."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am once again apologizing forate updates fjsjfjdj I'm just VERY busy with work and responsibilities now that life is somewhat??? back to normal. But I hope you guys are still enjoying the story though because I am and am not planning to finish it anytime soon 💀💀💀 so here's a fun little filler chapter with Mileena, Kitana and gang! 
> 
> The link to the outfits Google Doc as always, now updated with WINTER outfits. 
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

The snowy month of December rolled around, the holiday season looming not far behind, as well as the end of the semester. 

The cold weather was perfect for curling up at home on the weekend for a Christmas movie binge with a cuddle buddy… or two… or three.

Those were Mileena's exact plans for herself and her squad on the freezing Sunday morning.

She sprawled on the couch, her limbs tangled with Tanya's while Rain and Baraka took the floor, a pile of snacks separating them. 

Holiday classic Home Alone played on the flat screen TV, the group watching intently, while chewing on their sweet and savory snacks. 

"Keep the change, ya filthy animal." They quoted the iconic line in unison, their laughs ringing out in the living room right after. 

Rain reached behind himself for the bag of sour candy in Tanya's hands who promptly hid it behind herself protectively.  
"Nah-uh! Mine!" She whined.

The boy whined right back in his deeper voice, dragging her by her leg to the ground as laughter erupted from the group again. 

Just then Kitana hopped downstairs, a suspiciously dressy outfit on.  
"Good morniiiing, people who do and don't live here." She said jokingly.

They all mumbled a greeting in response while Tanya crawled back on the couch, the bag of candy surrendered to Rain.

Mileena's gaze lingered on her twin.  
"Where are YOU off to?" The brunette asked curiously.

"Looking THAT cute." Rain added flirtatiously.

Kitana clicked her tongue at him in annoyance before turning back to her sister.  
"I'm off to study with Jade." She quickly mumbled.

Mileena narrowed her eyes.  
"Aha… Wearing that?"

The blue clad twin looked down at herself.  
"What's wrong with it."

"Too pretty for a simple study session…"

Kitana blinked a few times.  
"Thanks for the uh… backhanded compliment and the interrogation, but I'll be on my way now." She said, grabbing her coat. "Tanya, you've got a gummy bear in your cleavage." 

"Oops!" Tanya gasped, picking the candy out and throwing it aside. 

With that Kitana rushed out the door, her short heels clinking on the porch flooring. 

Mileena slowly turned back to the movie, her mind still occupied with what her twin was up to.  
"...Wasn't that my jacket?" She mumbled, jumping off the couch and checking the window for a sign of her sister outside.

Just as she hopped into a car parked in their driveway! Liu Kang's car!

Milly gasped loudly.   
"I knew it."

"What is it?" Tanya asked worriedly.

"She did her makeup, she took MY clothes, she literally just got into Liu Kang's car before my very eyes… She's going on a date!"

Baraka snort-laughed, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth.  
"Maybe it's a group study. They're all nerds." 

"Please, have you SEEN what she wears when out studying? Something's up." Mileena hurried back to the couch, grabbing Rain's phone. "You have Jade's number, right?"

"Well yeah, why?" 

"Dial her, she can't lie to save her life so whether she knows what's going on or not, she'll spill." 

"Why does it matter if she's on a date? Can't we just chillax and not care about it?" Tanya asked.

"Chillax?"

"You know… Chill and relax… Duh." 

"BECAUSE I don't like that she didn't tell me." Mileena explained with a pout as she held Rain's phone to her ear. "Anyways, shut up-- Hey, Jade!"

~~~

Jade's Sunday morning started like any other, with oatmeal and a cup of tea on a tray on her bedside table, her laptop propped between her legs and torso as she got ready for finals week.

The quiet of the room save for the keyboard clicking was therapeutic for the girl.

And she really thought she'd get to enjoy it until her phone vibrated in her lap, the default ringtone ruining the pleasant silence.   
"Who even--... Hello?"

"Hey, Jade!"

The girl set her laptop aside, sitting up straight.  
"Mileena?" 

"Yeah, babes, sorry to bother whatever nerdy activities you're up to but uhmmmm is my sister coming over to you today, by any chance?"

Jade raised a brow, checking her wrist watch.  
"Uh… If she is then she hasn't warned me--"

"I KNEW IT!"

Jade flinched, holding her phone away as her ear drum nearly burst from the loud yell.  
"Ow."

"Sorry, sorry just-- Join facetime." Mileena instructed.

"Okayyy..?"

The two shifted from an audio call to video.

"So what's this about?" Jade asked, seeing how furious her best friend's twin was.

"Okay so she came downstairs, dressed all cute, saying how she's coming to study   
with you but I know damn well I saw her get into Liu's car in the driveway. Did she tell you she's going on a date?"

Jade's face fell. Why wouldn't Kitana tell her anything?  
"N-no… Not really."

"SEE! This is why I'm PANICKED!" 

"Okay, hold on, are you sure it was Liu's car?" 

"Yeah, he talked about it like it was his child all of September, when he got it, how could I forget." Mileena said, annoyed.

"So… What do you want to do?" Jade asked.

"You know those two, where do you think they'd go?"

"I-I'm not sure. The mall downtown, I guess?"

"Totally! No wonder you're the smart one. Let's go spy on them! We'll pick you up!" 

"I-- I really don't think it's a good idea. It's none of our business…" Jade insisted righteously.

Mileena pouted.  
"Pleeeeaaase! Don't you wanna know what's up?"

Jade shook her head. She knows she wouldn't want to be spied on during a first date… If it even WAS their first date, consider Kitana didn't trust her with it.  
"I can't, Milly. It's not right."

"Urgh, whatever, suit yourself." The brunette threw the phone back into Rain's hands angrily.

Jade sighed, face-palming.

"Hey, gorgeous. How you doin'..." Rain took the opportunity to greet flirtatiously, only to be smacked by Tanya.

Jade rolled her eyes at him.  
"Not this…" She mumbled before ending the video call.

~~~

The call ended abruptly, making Rain chuckle after the failed attempt of flirting with the valedictorian.

"Real smooth, Rain." Tanya muttered. 

"Where did Milly run off to, anyway?" Baraka asked.

A minute or so later Mileena came back, changed into clothes warm enough to go out in.  
"Come on, Rain, you're driving me."

"Where?!" 

"To the mall, obviously, I'm getting to the bottom of this." She said, determined, yanking Rain off the ground.

"Jeez, I'm coming, I'm coming!"

"What about us?" Tanya asked.

Mileena turned to her 2 other friends.  
"You guys can stay here, have fun!"  
She said hurriedly as she dragged Rain out while he barely got his coat on.

The door closed after them and silence fell between Tanya and Baraka.

"Welp. My cuddle buddy is gone, come here." She said, patting the space next to her on the couch.

"Hell yeeeaaah!" Baraka exclaimed excitedly, jumping on the comfortable couch while she chuckled.

They kept on watching the movie and a little while later Milly and Kitty's mother came downstairs, yawning, not expecting to see anyone but her daughters.

She jumped as she saw Mileena's friends.  
"Oh!.. Hello uh… Not my children. Where are Kitana and Mileena?"

"Morning, Mrs. Sindel!" Tanya greeted with an enthusiastic wave. "Mileena is out spying on Kitana." She said nonchalantly.

"Oh. Huh." Sindel cleared her throat. "I'm not even gonna question it. Does anyone want lunch?" The older woman said lovingly.

"Yessss!" The two teens said excitedly, following Sindel into the kitchen. 

~~~ 

Jade couldn't get Kitana's whole ordeal out of her mind. Not even being able to distract herself with her work.

She couldn't help but wonder why her best friend wouldn't tell her about a date.

The brown haired girl knew that eventually the two would finally stop pining no matter what… But she wouldn't want to just be excluded from the love story. 

Unknowingly, she decided to dig deeper.

Jade picked up her phone again and dialled Kung Lao, wondering if maybe Liu Kang cared enough to share with his best friend.

God, she was too salty.

"You've reached the number of boyfriend material, press 1 for love confess--"

"Kung Lao." Jade said in a warning tone.

"--Sorry. Did you need anything, babe?"

She just sighed shakily, worrying him.

"Jade? Are you okay?" He asked, sounding serious all of a sudden.

"Did you know Liu Kang and Kitana were out on a date?"

"Nooo? Are they?"

Jade quickly filled him in on what was happening. 

"So why don't you join Mileena?" 

"Because… It's not right! What if they really are on a date! Spying on them is so messed up."

"Mmmmmm, is it though?"

"YES, it is!" She yelled.

"Okayyy okayyy, relax, babe. Breathe."

She took his advice, inhaling deeply and calming her anxiety.  
"I'm fine."

"Will it make you feel better if I say I too am gonna go and spy on them?"

"What? No! Don't do that! That's not what I told you all this for!"

"Hell, now I'm curious if those lovebirds finally took it there too!"

"Kung Lao. Don't."

"Give me one good reason."

"Because I'm asking you not to…" Jade whispered sweetly.

"...Dammit." He groaned. Melting just at the thought of her pleading face. "You know what, not gonna work. Another reason."

"URGH! Because they're our friends, we can't just--"

"You're not even sure they're at the mall! We might not even run into them."

She stayed quiet.

"See, you're considering it."

"It's wrong."

"Doesn't mean you can't do it! Come ooon, don't be such a saint all the time." 

"You know what, bye! I don't even care, thanks for nothing." She spat angrily before hanging up.

She's not even gonna do anything.

It's their business.

Not hers.

And that's that…

…

Screw it, she's going to spy on them.

~~~

Mileena and Rain arrived at the biggest mall in their city, the one most of them of them usually went to.

The parking area was mostly empty from it being such an early hour.

"Aaaand, what now?" Rain asked, hands on his hips.

"Now we look for Romeo and Juliet." Mileena mumbled, hugging herself from the cold.

"You're so sure they're even here." 

"Because they ARE, Rain."

"How do you know?!"

She glared at him before pointing at Liu Kang's car parked in the empty lot.

That shut Rain right up.  
"Oh. Well, that was easy. What's next, cutie?"

"First and foremost let's just go inside, I'm fucking freezing."

"What will you do when we find them, hypothetically." Rain asked, a smirk on his face.

"Kick her ass for not telling me she was on a date, duh!"

"Solid plan."

"Are you making fun of me?" She asked, suspicion coating her voice.

"Never!" He responded dramatically.

~~~

On the opposite end of the mall, near the bus stop, Jade got off, ashamed that her curiosity got the better of her, but determined to find out what her best friend was keeping from her.

She'd just have to be really, really stealthy.

Which wouldn't be a problem, she spends most of her time in libraries after all.

Jade made her way into the shopping center, the hood of her coat pulled up, she wouldn't want to run straight into them and be recognised. 

She just wanted to know. That's it.

The valedictorian probably wouldn't even dare to confront them. That simply wasn't in her nature.

Lost in her thoughts she roamed the vast labyrinth that was the mall.

When at last, she caught the sight of her best friend with her suitor from afar.

Jade tiptoed her way closer, hiding behind a huge pillar.   
"Now what are you up to…"

"That could be asked of you too, young lady." Someone whispered right in her ear.

"EEK!" She jumped. "Kung Lao! What the hell, you scared me!" Jade whisper-yelled, punching his arm.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little miss spying-on-our-friends-is-bad." He called her out.

The green eyed girl sighed.  
"Alright, fine, you caught me..."

"Hell yeah I did." He replied proudly. 

"I just-- I couldn't resist." She whined.

"I get it, me too, that's why I'm here."

"Good. At least we're together."

"God that sounds good coming from you…" He whispered.

"Time out!" She warned.

"Alright, alright, I'll save the flirts for when we're done."

Jade rolled her eyes.  
"Whatever. I just want to know what's going on."

"You and me both."

"Not just you two!" A female voice called out. 

"Milly." Jade acknowledged the twin.

"I thought you didn't want to come, Jade." Mileena said smugly.

"Urgh, shush, I still think this is wrong…" The girl looked back to where she spotted Kitana and Liu Kang, but they were gone. "Shit I lost the sight of them."

"Let's just look together, they can't be far away." Rain suggested.

Kung Lao rolled his eyes.  
"As much as it pains me to work with y'all, let's just do it."

"You can just go play in the play zone, kid." Rain mocked, pushing past the class clown and throwing an arm around Jade.  
"While we, the two hottest people in the class can stick together."

"Uuuh… Excuse me?" Jade asked.

"Yeah, I beg your pardon?" Mileena added.

"Come on, Jade, I bet you miss us." Rain said, flirtatiously poking the girl's side.

Kung Lao threatened to pop a vein.  
"Us? What the hell does that mean?!"

Jade rolled her eyes.  
"Yes, Rain, tell him what that means." She said sarcastically.

"Jade and I used to date--"

"--Yeah, a very passionate two week romance in KINDERGARTEN." She shook his arm off herself. "And he thought I would give him cooties so it wasn't meant to be." The star student joked.

Mileena laughed.  
"That's actually kind of cute."

"So cute it almost gave me a heart attack." Kung Lao mumbled angrily.

"Jesus, can we just focus on the task at hand?!" Jade said impatiently. "No more distractions, let's go."

She fell ahead, closely followed by Kung Lao while Rain joined Mileena again.

"I know that was a sort of payback for me not thinking you were the hottest guy in class." Milly noted with a laugh.

"Mmm, maybe, maybe not."

"You're such a man-whore, Rain." She added, making them both laugh.

~~~

Eventually, the four of them located Kitana and Liu.

They followed the pair around, trying to be discreet.

But so far it seemed like all they did was enter and exit stores together. No movies, no ice cream together. No sit-down at a café.

Nothing date-worthy.

"URGH, can something interesting happen?" Mileena complained. "My feet hurt."

"For someone who initiated this you're whining a lot, Mileena." Kung Lao told her.

"I thought this would be juicy, like we'd bust them making out or something."

"Too bad." 

"Don't sass me, Kung Lao, I swear I'll scratch you with my acrylics!" 

"Oh try it, budget Catwoman."

"Guys! Stop fighting!" Jade shouted.

"You know what, I'm bored, I'm going home." Rain announced.

"Fuck it, same." Milly muttered.

Jade stopped her.  
"You're the one who raised hell over this and now you're gonna leave?!"

"Don't make me feel bad about this! You could have just stayed home, anyway!"

"Yes, but you implanted that idea in me that they were hiding something!"

"But I--"

"...Guys?"

The four of them whipped around to face Kitana and Liu Kang, their eyes wide and brows furrowed.

"Kitty! Heyyyy! What a small world." Mileena tried to play off nonchalantly.

"Kung Lao? What are you doing here?" Liu Kang asked.

"You tell us…" Rain mumbled.

"Jade..?" 

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE OUT ON A DATE?!" Jade blurted out angrily.

"A date?!" Kitana and Liu Kang asked in shocked unison.

The former glared at Mileena.  
"Did you raise this panic?"

"...Oops."

Kitana shook her head tiredly.  
"The whole surprise is ruined."

Jade raised a brow.  
"... Surprise?"

The four culprits now focused on the red gift bag in Liu Kang's hands.

"Liu was going to buy a birthday gift. He just needed a second opinion."

Kung Lao crossed his arms. "Why didn't you ask me for that second opinion, dude?"

Liu Kang blinked. "Are you serious right now? It's for YOUR birthday! Next week, remember?!"

"...Oh… Heh… I forgot." The class clown said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

Jade covered her face with her hand.  
"I'm gonna kill you, Kung Lao."

Liu Kang laughed.  
"Dumbass."

Mileena crossed her arms.  
"Well then why did you lie about going to Jade's house to study?"

"Because I know that you don't know how to keep a secret and mind your business… And see, I was spot on!" Kitana said angrily.

"I mean… True." Milly admitted.

Rain slow clapped the whole ordeal out.  
"Wow, this was… Spectacularly dumb. I'm going home." He winked at Jade. "Call me, now that you have my number though."

"Yeah, no…"

"Worth a shot." The boy strutted off, Mileena following suit. 

Kung Lao jumped at his best friend trying to snatch the gift bag.  
"Show me what you guys gooot!"

Liu Kang ran off, laughing.  
"No way, dude, wait till your birthday!"

Kitana and Jade turned to each other, now alone in the relatively empty area of the mall. 

The latter sighed and hugged her best friend.  
"I'm so sorry I blew this out of proportion."

The twin hugged her right back, giggling softly.  
"It's okay, sorry I didn't give you a heads up about the study thing. I didn't think Mileena would even notice anything."

"I guess I was just upset at the thought of you not trusting me."

Kitana squeezed her friend's shoulders.  
"Jade. If one of these days I finally, miraculously go on a date, you'll be the first to know. No question."

"I'm glad."

The two girls hugged again, gently swaying.

"...What was up with Rain flirting with you though?"

"Hell if I know, but I'm NOT acquiring a third man-leech."

Kitana laughed heartily.  
"Never change, Jade."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOHOOOOO MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS Y'ALL!! Enjoy this Christmas chapter only 2-3 days late for Catholic Christmas :P but hey i still made or for the season!
> 
> As always, the link to the outfits Google Doc 
> 
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

Finals week passed the students of Edenia high by like a whirlwind.

Some got excellent results, some - mediocre.

And some… Well… Some were left to hope for the best.

But it didn't taint the Holiday spirit and the seniors spent all Friday morning after the final exam decorating their classroom.

"Urgh, why do we bother with these decorations if we're not even gonna BE here to look at them 90% of the time they're up." Frost complained as she tucked a silver garland behind the edge of the whiteboard.

"You are, maybe, the only person on this earth to complain about putting up Christmas decorations, Frost." Kung Lao said with a chuckle.

The blue haired girl stopped, tapping her chin with her index finger thoughtfully.

She checked for something behind the whiteboard.  
"Not here."

...And lifted Kung Lao's hat off his head.  
"Not under your cap."

And opened a nearby pencil case.  
"Not in here either."

"The hell are you doing?" The class clown asked.

She glared at him.  
"Duh, looking for who asked."

"Good one, jolly rancher." He joked.

"Can you two shut up? Some of us are actually trying to make this look good." Jade said, hands on her hips.

"Sorry, beautiful." Kung Lao said apologetically, taking a box of ornaments from the brown haired girl. 

"Whatever." Frost mumbled, stepping aside with her arms crossed.

A few minutes passed and Cassie shuffled into the classroom, stretching tiredly, but smiled at the new atmosphere.  
"Aren't youuu guys festive." She complimented.

"Come join us, Cass." Jacqui offered while on Takeda's shoulders, hanging garlands up over the blinds. 

"Mmmm, but you guys are doing sooo great without me." She replied lazily, slumping into her seat. 

Frost leant against their desk, eyeing Cassie up and down.  
"What's gotten you so tired?"

The blonde chuckled.  
"Me and dad were up having a snowball fight until like… 2 am." 

Her friend snort-laughed.  
"Is your dad 10?"

"Hey!" Cassie furrowed her brows. "It's about having a youthful soul."

Frost shrugged.  
"Not that I'd know anything about that." 

"Tsk. I've noticed." 

Just then the Black Dragon crew flooded into the room with what seemed like cigarettes held between their lips.

But upon closer inspection, those were candy canes.

"Someone's got a sweet tooth." Cassie said with a smirk when he Texan's eyes met hers. 

Erron smirked.  
"Can't say no to something sweet, Princess…" He reached the girls two identical red and white candy canes. "Want one, ladies?"

"Sure." Cass replied for the both of them. 

They tasted the candy and the reactions were drastically different. 

Cassie immediately spat hers out into a napkin while simultaneously fanning her mouth.  
"What the fuck?!"

"It's good." Frost pointed out, letting go of the long confectionery with a pop of her mouth.

"Good?! My tongue is literally on fire!"  
She looked up and saw Erron and his friends laughing hysterically.

"WHY YOU--!" 

"Peppermint, but hold the mint." Kabal joked through his chuckles.

"Is this fucking chilli flavored?!" 

"Wait, mine's good though." Frost admitted, confused.

"They're a mixed batch, I had no way of knowing which one of you would take the bad one." Erron explained.

"So you wanted to prank ME instead?" The blue haired girl asked with a raised brow.

Erron smirked.  
"No comment."

Cassie was still recovering from the nasty treat, scrubbing her burning lips with the back of her hand. 

The Texan took the candy cane from her.  
"Come on, can't be that bad." He claimed, putting it into his own mouth.

The blonde's eyes widened.  
"What the hell, dude?! I licked that!"

"Yeah, and?" He asked. "By the way, it's not that bad, you're a wimp, Cage."

"You. Are. So. Gross."

"Wait, so… You can tell them apart by the wrapper?" Frost asked.

Erron nodded.

"Can you give me a bad one?"

The three guys looked at each other and smirked before giving the azure haired girl one of the spicy candy canes.  
"You've got something devious on your mind…"

"Make us proud, sugar." 

Frost rolled her eyes, hiding the treat out of sight.  
"Sure, whatever."

With that, the troublesome trio moved to the back of the class to their desks.

Cassie narrowed her eyes at Frost suspiciously.  
"The hell are you up to?"

Just as she asked, Kuai, Hanzo and Liu entered the classroom, laughing about something together.

Realization hit the blonde.  
"No…"

Frost smirked at the sight of the blue clad footballer, leaving her and Cass's desk with a bounce in her step.

Cassie facepalmed herself.  
"You are the problem, Frost!" She shouted after her friend. 

So much for a plan to finally get those dorks together.

The girl waited until Kuai Liang settled at his desk to approach him.

He looked up at her, the corner of his mouth curving into a small smile.  
"Good morning."

"Morning. I got something for you." She deadpanned.

"...Oh?"

Frost offered him the candy.  
"There you go." 

Kuai reached his hand out to take it, his fingers lingering on hers as he narrowed his eyes at her..  
"What's the catch?"

She rolled her eyes and suckled on her own cane, lowering his suspicion.  
"Just thought I'd offer, jeez, if you don't want it then--"

He snatched it from her.  
"No, no that's… Nice of you. Thanks." The boy said, flashing a bright smile.

Frost gulped heavily, losing her composure for a brief second.  
"Y-You're welcome."

She hurried back to her desk.

Cassie shook her head in exasperated disapproval.

"Whaaat? It's a prank! You're the one saying I should be more light-hearted."

"Well not at HIS expense."

Minutes passed and the victim of the prank paced to the front of the class in defeat, forcefully throwing the disgusting candy into the bin.

The short haired girl suppressed a laugh, hand over her mouth, cracking up only when his disappointed gaze met hers.

He walked over to the girls' desk.

"What? Didn't like your candy?" Frost asked innocently, giving her own treat a teasing lick.

Kuai Liang leant over their desk to be at eye level with the culprit, nearly brushing noses with her.  
"Seek help." He said angrily, before moving along.

And Frost simply smirked, clearly satisfied with herself.

Cassie raised a brow.  
"Since when are YOU so confident?"

Her deskmate shrugged.  
"His misery gives me powers."

"He's right, you need help."

"Oh, come on! It was funny!"

"Seeerious help."

~~~~~

Later that day Cassie, Jacqui and Frost headed to Sub-Zero's, to have a treat over something the former wanted to discuss.

They slid into one of the booths and put their orders in. Afterwards, Cass was finally ready to talk.  
"Okay so I know I said 'never again' to holding a party at my house buuut… What about a little Christmas get together." 

"Aww, blondie wants to share the magic of Christmas this year." Jacqui joked.

Cassie laughed.  
"That too, honestly. I'm an only child, Christmas has always been kind of lonely. Especially considering even my parents missed it sometimes… It was just me and the pile of gifts."

Frost blinked.  
"Is that the uh… Sad sob story? Were we supposed to cry just then?"

Jacqui nudged her.  
"Don't be like that. It IS sad."

"Oh nooo. Her and the… 20 something gifts. Aww." 

"Ignore her, Cass." Jacqui insisted. "I can't imagine a Christmas without my parents."

"That has only happened once or twice. Still, it would be nice to have some friends around, if not on Christmas Eve then on… The 23rd? Maybe?"

Jacqui nodded. "Sounds good. With the secret Santa Milly and Tanya are doing, it would be the occasion to give out the gifts."

"God, not secret Santa." Frost whispered, clearly annoyed.

"They're doing secret Santa?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah! Didn't they give you the bedazzled bucket to pull a name out of?" The sporty girl asked with a laugh.

"Damn, not yet! I want to participate!"

"Couldn't be me." Frost mumbled. 

Just then Kuai Liang brought out the drinks to their table.

After quietly serving the drinks, the boy stuck around their booth, observing something.

The girls ignored that, each picking up their drink and sipping out of the colorful straws.

Almost immediately, Frost grimaced, spitting her tea back into the glass.  
"What the fuck?!"

Kuai Liang cackled.  
"Revenge is a drink best served cold..."

The girl glared at him angrily, wiping her mouth.  
"You jerk!"

Cassie and Jacqui couldn't help but laugh. 

"Wh-- A-are you okay? What was it?" The blonde asked through her laughs.

"Don't worry, Cass. The drink's just like her." Kuai Liang looked back at Frost. "Salty." He winked and left to serve another table.

"Is--"

"Don't-- Even-- Sh-shut up." Frost ordered, blushing hard.

"He really owned you with that one, honey." Jacqui said. 

"He's just too witty." Cassie complimented.

"Can't with him sometimes." Jacqui added.

Frost rolled her eyes angrily.  
"What are you two? Presidents of his fan club?"

"That would be you, sweetie." Cassie blurted out, only realising what she said when she noticed Frost's wide-eyed reaction.

"Wait, what?" Jacqui asked.

Frost covered her face with both of her hands, leaving a slit to glare angrily at Cassie.

"Isn't the flooring here just so nice?" The blonde pointed out, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Baaack up, am I missing something?"

"Frost, I'm so sorry." Cass whispered apologetically.

"Urgh. Whatever."

"WHAT IS GOING OOON?!" The football captain inquired impatiently.

"Can I just..?" Cassie asked cautiously.

Frost clicked her tongue, sinking into her seat until she was basically under the table, hiding her flushed face.  
"Doesn't matter."

The blonde rolled her eyes.  
"She has a crush on him." 

Jacqui gasped.  
"Whaaaaaaaa--"

Frost chucked the box of napkins on the table at the girl, warningly.

Jacqui rubbed her temples thoughtfully.  
"It all makes sense now, waiiit."

"Jesus Christ…" 

"Girl, your secret's safe with me." Jacqui reassured.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what Cage said too, next thing you know the entire freaking class knows about this." The blue haired girl spat angrily, taking a swig of her drink to cool down, the fact that it was tampered with escaping her. "Fuck, I forgot this was bad. God damn it."

Cassie sighed.  
"I'll go get you a water."

"Thank you…" She mumbled sadly.

The blonde paced to the front counter, to see Kuai Liang wiping it with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Good one, dude." She complimented.

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week." He replied with a dramatic bow.  
"Hope she's not too pissed though." The boy added worriedly.

Cassie snort-laughed.  
"She'll live. Can I have a glass of water for her though?"

Kuai shook his head and chuckled, pulling out Frost's actual drink from under the counter.  
"I was going to bring this out in a bit. Just wanted to stretch the prank out. Wasn't gonna leave her without a drink. Tell her it's on me, by the way.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again, you're too good for this world. Too pure.

The boy shrugged sheepishly.  
"Making sure there's no added hard feelings on top of what's already there."

Oh she has some HARD feelings for you alright…

Urgh. Clueless nerds.

Cassie grabbed Frost's drinker and returned to their booth.

Sliding it over to her, to the girl's obvious surprise.

"Kuai said, and I quote, he wasn't just gonna leave you without your drink, plus it's his treat." Cass whispered with a grin.

Frost rolled her eyes and sipped her new drink.  
"He's such a people's pleaser." 

But her classmates could clearly tell she was smiling against the rim of the glass.

~~~

Some time passed and the trio were finishing up their drinks when the doors to the diner swung open and Mileena and Tanya strutted in, their bedazzled Secret Santa bucket cradled like a child.

"There they aaaare!~" The former announced obnoxiously as the pair bounced over to their booth. "Cassie, Frost, pick out the names of your recipients~"

The blonde rubbed her hands excitedly and dipped one into the now small pile of folded strips of paper.

"I'm not participating." Frost deadpanned.

"You have to!" Mileena insisted.

"For once we've gotten everyone to participate, don't ruin it!" Tanya added.

"Fine, whatever, guess someone's getting a chocolate bar." The blue haired girl muttered as she picked out a paper of her own.

Mileena exhaled in relief.  
"Phew, a weight off our shoulders."

The two girls were about to leave when Cassie pulled her sleeve.  
"Hey, wait up, I wanted to ask something."

"Sure, babes, what is it?" 

"Okay sooo… I want the gift swapping to be special sooo how about we all do it together on the 23rd… at my place." Cassie offered.

Tanya and Mileena looked at each other.

"Please don't screech!" The blonde warned.

"ARE YOU KIDDING?! Cass, that's perfect!"

"Thanks for the enthusiasm, girls."

"Don't mention it! We'll add you to the GC for deets. Toodles!" Mileena said and just like that the duo bounced off to the counter to get Kuai Liang and Bi Han to pick out names for Secret Santa too.

Cassie rested her head in her hand.  
"I wonder who got who…"

"Are you not gonna check the paper, Cass?" Jacqui asked.

"Nah, I think I'll wait until I get home. Wanna keep it a surprise."

Frost clicked her tongue.  
"I'll just get it over with." She unfolded the small strip of paper, not even a small shift in her expression as she read the name.  
"Sure."

"Who is it?"

"Can't tell, can I? Them's the stupid rules." She sassed. 

Jacqui sipped the last of her drink, a grin on her face.  
"Guess we'll all see on the 23rd." 

~~~

The remaining 4 days or so whirred by with Cassie's Christmas preparations.

The girl was always excited for the holiday. But this year especially, knowing she'd be able to share it with some real friends. 

Mileena turned out to have one of the most chaotic yet funny group chats in the world.

They barely discussed the event itself, just chatting and sharing memes.

Though the constant buzzing of her phone was getting very annoying. 

So she took care of the details, like time of arrival, dinner guidelines, gift swapping rules.

Even decided that the parents of the class could join, if they wanted to. They would keep Cassie's family company. That could be fun.

The long awaited day was finally upon them and Cassie was simply making sure that everything was perfect since early morning.

Even practicing her dramatic entrance in front of Frost, Jacqui and Takeda, who arrived early per Cass's request.

Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is you." played as the girl slid down the railing of their marble staircase, a short Santa dress with red thigh high boots on, as well as a trademark Santa hat.  
"Sooo, what do you guys think?"

"A serve." Jacqui said.

"Impactful." Takeda added.

"Unnecessary but very ~you~." Frost finished off with the round of critique.

"Why thank you." Cassie said with a curtsy. 

Sonya peeked her head in from the living room.  
"Are you kids done over here?"

"Yeah, mom, just finishing up."

The Cage matriarch checked her wrist watch.  
"There's still a few hours until everyone else arrives, do you want anything to eat?"

The teens shook their heads no.

"We're okay, mom, we'll be upstairs."

"Sure thing." 

"Oh, Mrs. Cage, it's okay if my parents arrive closer to the dinner, right?" Jacqui asked shyly.

"Of course, no problem. We've counted in the family members that will be joining." Sonya said friendly.

With that the four friends hopped upstairs, to Cassie's room, who immediately plopped onto her bed.  
"Soooo, hope you guys got the gifts for Secret Santa."

The football captain finger-gunned her.  
"You know it."

"Are you happy with who you got?" The blonde asked.

"Could have been better." Takeda admitted.

Cassie chuckled.  
"I feel like that's the case with pretty much everyone."

"The gift swapping is gonna be chaos." Frost predicted bitterly.

Everyone ignored her pessimism.  
"You seem so excited, Cass." Jacqui pointed out. "Did you get anyone good?"

Cassie smirked to herself.  
"Maaaybe…"

"I can't wait to see who a few people got." The boy expressed.

Hours passed with the group just chatting about Christmas, their wishlist and a whole bunch of nothing.

And the time came for everyone else to arrive.

For better or worse, it was quite the snowy evening.

So some people would have trouble reaching the gated community.

First to arrive were Jacqui's parents, whom the teen wrapped in a tight hug by the door as they passed her the gift she was gonna give to her secret Santa recipient.

"Meeting the parents, huh." Cassie whispered teasingly.

Takeda glared at the girl.  
"First of all, shut up, second, I'm already well acquainted with her family."

"Even better for you." The blonde said before bouncing over to the older couple to say hi.

"Coach Briggs!"

"Hey there, champion." The man greeted cheerfully, removing his coat. 

"Cass, this is my mom, Vera." Jacqui introduced.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Briggs."

"Likewise, sweetheart." The older woman replied, pinching the girl's cheek.

Just then Sonya and Johnny arrived to greet their guests.  
"Hello, Happy Holid--... Jax?" Sonya recognised.

The man's eyes widened.  
"Sonya?"

The blonde woman smiled widely and approached her old friend.  
"What a small world, Jacqui's your daughter?"

"You know each other, mom?" Cassie asked.

"Me and Jax served in the military together! Jesus, it's been so long!"

Johnny peeked his head out of the living room.  
"Someone's excited in here."

"Johnny, this is Jackson Briggs, I've told you about him, we were stationed together."

"Well, my wife's friends are my friends." Johnny said excitedly, shaking Jax's hand.

"We're huge fans, man." He said politely.

Jacqui laughed.  
"Don't worry, Mr. Cage, they're fangirling inside."

The group laughed and Sonya led Jax and Vera deeper into the house, showing them around and offering some hors d'oeuvres.

The hors d'oeuvres in question being hand-decorated gingerbread cookies. 

Soon, Takeda's father - Kenshi joined them too. The parents holding a small celebration of their own by the living room coffee table, over some champagne.

Liu Kang and Kung Lao were next to arrive and the latter was holding something other than the gift for his recipient.

"Whatcha got there?" Cassie asked curiously.

"Oooh, this is my secret tool to spice the evening up." He explained, holding up the small plant.

The blonde snort-laughed.  
"Is that a mistletoe?"

"Yeap. I'm playing Cupid tonight. And doing myself a favor or two." He said deviously. "Pucker up, by the way, we're right under it."

Cassie chuckled and kissed their class prankster on the cheek. "Move along, Cupid."

"Things are not gonna end well with that mistletoe." Frost said as she helped Cassie collect the coats and take them to a seperate room.

The host furrowed her brows.  
"You know what? Wear this Santa hat and stop being so gosh darn pessimistic." She said, removing the hat and putting it on her blue haired friend.

The latter laughed.  
"Gosh darn… Really?"

"There's parents around, I'm a good noodle today, shut up."

The girls piled the coats in a guest room and returned to the festivities.

Some time later, the doorbell rang again and Cassie went to get it. When she opened the door she faced the Black Dragon crew.

"Come on, boys, like we practiced." The trio cleared their throats. "Siiiilent Niiight, Hoooooly Niiiight.~"

Cassie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.  
"Would you look at them, they're carol singers." 

"Happy Holidays, Hollywood!" Kabal said excitedly.

"You guys, wait right here, don't move." She said with a laugh, hurrying off to get something.

A minute later she came back with three identical elf ear headbands.  
"You'll be my elves tonight. And don't you dare take them off!" She said, handing them one by one.

Erron raised a brow at her.  
"You can't be serious."

"I am completely serious, now put those on and don't upset the kids!"

The three begrudgingly played along, putting on the headbands before finally being let in by Cassie.

Kano and Kabal hurried into the living room while Erron stayed behind, eyeing Cassie up and down with a smirk.  
"Oh, Santa… I've been real naughty this year."

She grimaced.  
"Ew, piss off, my parents are literally three paces away."

"Don't let that stop you."

"You're so disgusting--"

Suddenly the doorbell rang again before she could even lead her newest guests to the living room.

Cassie sighed.  
"Now, go join everyone else before I kick you out."

"You got it, boss." The Texan said, moving along.

The host opened the door to see Kitana, Mileena and their mom at the door.  
"Good Evening! Glad you could make it." She said politely.

"Aren't you adorable." Sindel said lovingly. "Thanks for inviting us!"

"Of course, come on in."

Milena let herself in first, showing off what appeared to be a new pair of boots.  
"You've heard of elf on the shelf… Now get ready for Mileena in Balenciaga!"

"That doesn't even rhyme…" Kitana mumbled.

"You already got Christmas presents, Milly?" Cassie asked with a laugh.

"One of mom's suitors got me it." She whispered. "Trying to buy our affection, of course."

"Did he get YOU anything, Kitana."

The girl rolled her eyes.  
"Yeap. The exact same pair of shoes. I didn't accept it, of course."

"Well, sadly, I wasn't above that."

The girls laughed as Cassie took their coats.  
"Make yourself at home, Ma'am." She told Sindel who was fixing the hem of her beautiful purple pencil dress before strutting into the living room.

All the guests stopped what they were doing and admired the older woman's beauty, the patriarchs of the Cage and Briggs families also sneaking a peek before awkwardly looking away for their wives.

Kenshi sipped his champagne, noting just how quiet it got though, of course, the blind man couldn't tell what was going on.  
"Why the sudden silence?" 

Sindel cleared her throat and chuckled awkwardly.  
"I may have overdressed a little?" She asked her daughters.

"Don't worry about it, mom." Kitana reassured.

Sindel joined the parents and Kitana took off to embrace Liu Kang and Kung Lao. While Mileena texted her friends to see when they would arrive.

Slowly but surely all the guests arrived. 

The first order of business was the modest, early Christmas dinner. 

They all enjoyed the partially homemade and partially ordered meal Cassie's family put together for them.

Soon after, they simply took to mingling amongst themselves, sharing the excitement of this Christmas Eve…Eve… Discussing resolutions for the new year.

"You pulled it off yet again, girl." Jacqui complimented the host.

Cassie chuckled.  
"You guys are great guests, that's what it's about."

As if on cue Kabal approached them, looking apologetic, with a broken ornament in his hand.  
"Uh… Oops?"

Cassie sighed.  
"Forget what I just said. How did this happen, you infant." She walked off to figure out what happened there, leaving Jacqui alone.

The sporty girl scanned the crowd for Takeda who was by the huge Christmas tree, chatting with Hanzo and Kuai Liang.

She walked over to them, a cheerful smile on her face.  
"Whatchu guys talking about?" The girl inquired.

"We were just leaving our gifts under the tree for the Secret Santa thing. That's how Cass wanted to do it." Hanzo explained.

"Oh. I gotta do that too, lemme go grab my gift. Takeda, come with?" She asked.

"Right behind you."

The two walked to where Jacqui left her gift, bumping into Kung Lao on the way.

"Oooh, hold on you two, I got something for you."

The class clown held up the mistletoe right above their heads, earning a death glare from Takeda.

Jacqui chuckled.  
"Aww, that's cute. C'mere." She whispered teasingly, gesturing him towards her with her index finger.

Takeda gulped. 

How many times would he have to kiss her in a way that didn't matter?

The gesture that he could pour all his emotion into, wasted in a game and now in a stupid Christmas tradition.

Jacqui got on her tippy toes, gently pressing her lips against the corner of Takeda's mouth, hand on his cheek.

The boy melted into the kiss, turning his head completely so he could deepen it.

To his surprise and delight, she didn't pull away, giggling softly against the firm kiss.

Did she really not take it seriously?! 

Jacqui broke the kiss, patting his cheek a few times.  
"Can't say no to that tradition."

Takeda froze, simply staring into her eyes while holding her by the waist.  
"I--... I love you." He blurted out.

The captain's eyes widened as she peeled away from his grasp.  
"Wh-what?"

Kung Lao cleared his throat, hiding the mistletoe away.  
"Oh wow, a plot twist… I'll uh… leave you guys"

Takeda ran a hand through his hair, realizing what he just said.  
"Jac, I--"

"I'm sorry I--... I need a second."

Jacqui ran off upstairs, thankfully without her parents noticing what just went down.

Cassie came back, hands on her hips.  
"Okay so the ornament didn't actually break, what did I miss?"

Kung Lao rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  
"I may or may not have gotten Takeda to accidentally confess to Jacqui that he's in love with her."

Cassie blinked a few times, staring at Takeda who, indeed, seemed to be in a complete state of panic.

"...WHAT?!"

~~~

Cassie hurried upstairs in search of her friend.

That is DEFINITELY not how the blonde expected Takeda to confess, all because of Kung Lao's stupid mistletoe.

She's banning that thing.

The host found her friend in one of the guestrooms, hugging her knees to her chest on the bed. 

"H-hey… I just found out what happened."

"I'm… A dumbass." Jacqui mumbled.

"Baby, no… Don't be like that."

"You don't get it! Jesus… All this time. I was probably making him so uncomfortable."

"What do you mean?"

"Cass. We've slept together."

"HUH?!"

"Wait, no! God, not in that sense. We've slept over each other's houses, cuddled together and I just kind of never saw it as anything more than hanging out with my best friend and he…" Jacqui threw her hands over her face. "URGH!"

Cassie shrugged, hugging Jacqui close.  
"You know the drill… He didn't want to ruin your friendship."

"And that dork is probably panicking downstairs now, isn't he?"

"Well, duh? Didn't you run off the second he told you?"

"Did you know, Cass?"

"I mean… Everyone kinda knew, besides you."

Jacqui held the sides of her head.  
"I am so dumb!"

"Please don't start ignoring him, that'll crush him…"

"Ignore him? How am I supposed to ignore my boyfriend?"

Cassie's eyes widened.  
"I-- What?!"

"He admitted he liked me. Isn't that how it goes?" She asked, turning her head innocently.

"W-well yeah but--. Do you like him back?!"

"Of course!"

Cassie rubbed her temples.  
"You just said you had no idea he liked you."

"Well I know now. And I like him back. What's the problem?"

The blonde tapped her chin.  
"Hm. Okay. That was easy."

Jacqui got up with a bounce, smiling brightly.  
"I'll go talk to him!"

Cassie looked at her friend like she was crazy.  
"How'd you go from taking it so badly to taking it so well?!"

"I love him, Cassie!" She said nonchalantly before going downstairs.

Leaving the blonde confused in the middle of the guest room.

What the hell just happened?

~~~

Takeda sat on the couch with his head in his hands, cursing himself out for blurting out something so important so carelessly.

Hanzo was beside him, patting his back supportively.  
"You would have to say it sooner or later."

"Yeah, amazing, I said it now and ruined absolutely everything."

"You don't know that."

"Should have seen her face. I'm such an idiot." Takeda covered his face in embarrassment again, quietly groaning.

Jacqui rushed back downstairs and jogged over to the guilt-ridden boy.

Kneeling in front of him, she cupped his face in her hands before smashing her lips against his.

"Oh ho ho ho, I'll leave you guys be." Hanzo said before backing away.

"Mmph!" Takeda let out a sound of surprise, on top of his wide-eyed reaction to the sudden kiss.

She broke the seal of their lips, smiling brightly at him.  
"I'm sorry I ran off like that… I needed a second to get my feelings figured out."

"O-okay--" Takeda muttered, the pitch of his voice an octave or two higher from how nervous he was.

Jacqui chuckled.  
"Is that all you have to say to your girlfriend, baby boy?"

"G-girlfriend?!"

She got back up and put a hand on her hip.  
"What? You were just gonna tell me you love me and not cuff me down?" The sporty girl joked sassily. 

Takeda followed her example and got up, though his knees seemed like they could give out at any moment.  
"I-I just d-didn't--." He cleared his throat. "I didn't think you'd want that."

She smiled softly.  
"Well I do. Do you?"

The boy nodded hurriedly and cupped her face in his hands before pulling her in for a real kiss this time.

Firm yet tender.

He didn't let himself get too carried away, as they were still in the company of their entire class. As well as their PARENTS just outside their field of view.

And yeah, the class was definitely observing.

"Aww. All is well that ends well. Or well… Starts well. If we're talking about their relationship." Jade narrated.

Kung Lao lifted the almighty mistletoe.  
"My mind. My power. One day they'll thank me during their wedding."

"You held up a plastic plant above their heads, don't overstate your credit." The green clad girl sassed. 

"You can't say no to the mistletoe." He spoke dramatically, as if the decoration was some sort of deity.

"Dork." Jade whispered, crossing her arms.

Kung Lao cleared his throat.  
"I SAID… You can't say no to the mistletoe." He hinted, holding it just above them. 

The girl rolled her eyes and left a quick peck on his cheek.  
"Merry Christmas, Lao."

He melted into a smitten smile.  
"Merryyyy…" Then collapsed on the floor.

She rolled her eyes, walking right over him.  
"Drama king."

~~~

Later in the evening, Cassie noticed another of her friend's disappearance.  
"Has anyone seen Frost?!"

"Don't know anyone like that." Erron joked from nearby.

"Oh, you know, 5'3, blue hair, in a constant  
state of edgy turmoil." She joked right back.

"Doesn't ring a bell." 

She put her hands on her hips.  
"But seriously I'm tired of constantly losing sight of everyone, can anyone else just find her and bring her back to civilization."

"I'll look for her." Kuai Liang volunteered, overhearing Cassie's complaints from the side. 

"Yes, please." The blonde said desperately.

The boy took off in search of his rival, checking every room downstairs.

Even the guestroom with the coats, honestly expecting to see her under the pile.

But eventually finding her in the kitchen, sitting on the counter, gently kicking her legs, gaze fixed on her phone.

Kuai Liang smirked.  
"There you are." 

She flinched, nearly dropping her phone.  
"Jesus Christ… You scared me."

He chuckled, leaning against the doorframe.  
"Sorry about that."

"What do you want?" She asked, picking up a water bottle from the kitchen island counter and taking a swig from it.

"Cass is looking for you." He informed.

Frost rolled her eyes.  
"Tell her I'm here, I'm alive, her mom friend senses can relax."

"Why ARE you here. There's a party out there."

"Oh, really? What gave it away? The guests? The music? The snack tables, perhaps?"

He raised his hands defensively.  
"Do you have to be so hostile all the time?"

"When people feel the need to tell me basic shit then, yeah, I do." 

Kuai Liang walked over to where she was, placing a hand on either side of her, on the counter. 

Frost shied away from the close proximity and looked away, but he tilted his head just enough to look her in the eyes.  
"Why are you hiding here?"

She sighed.  
"I just don't want to deal with Kung Lao and his stupid mistletoe." The girl shuddered just at the thought. "Urgh."

"None of us wants to. But we're not all gonna find a hole to hide in."

"Yeah, that would be pretty unoriginal of you all, stealing my thing like that." Frost replied sarcastically.

He let go of her counter, leaning against the opposite one.  
"You're impossible."

She shrugged.  
"Besides, I got everything I need here. A drink, a snack." She pointed at the water and peppermint on the counter. "A friend." She added, pointing at her phone. "Sooo, yeah, I'm all good, thanks but no thanks for the concern."

Kuai Liang sighed and closed the distance between them again and her eyes widened, heat rising in her face as she backed away.

The boy gently grabbed her by her midriff, easily lifting her off the counter, much like an elf on the shelf.

"Eeek--!"

He set her down and pointed towards the exit of the kitchen.  
"Out. The gift swapping will start soon."

Frost pouted.  
"I despise you, I hope you know that."

"Yeah, yeah, I've gotten the point after the six millionth time you said that, off you go."

~~~

Most of all, people were waiting for the gift swapping "ceremony".

Some were even getting awfully impatient. To the point of breaking rules.

Kabal, who had earlier disappeared from Erron and Kano's side, suddenly returned with his entire face covered in red lipstick stains, a satisfied grin on his face.  
"Skarlet liked her gift…"

Erron raised a brow.  
"You were her secret Santa?"

"Mhm…" 

The Texan pinched the bridge of his nose.  
"How many times did you pull from the bucket to get her?"

"Like uh… 5 or 6."

"Mate, you know you're supposed to pick a name out once, not do it again and again until you get who you want." Kano explained.

"...Oh."

Erron shoved him with a laugh.  
"Dumbass. What'd you even get her."

"A bundle from her favorite internet occult shop. As you can see she appreciated it." Kabal said happily, pointing at all the lip marks.

Kano and Erron rolled their eyes.  
"Women. They're so easy."

"Women are so what now?!" Cassie asked angrily, accidentally eavesdropping.

"Not you, of course, Santa, we're your loyal elves." Erron replied jokingly.

"Nice try, asshole, but I'm not a 'pick me' girl. What's up with your face?" She asked Kabal.

He sighed happily.  
"Mmmm… Skarlet liked her gift."

Her eyes widened.  
"What?! Why didn't you wait for the gift swapping?!"

"Uh… Oops?"

"A shot for every 'oops' you pull would take out a herd of cows." Cassie said furiously. "Okay we gotta start now so no one else ruins this."

At last, the host gathered everyone around the tall, white Christmas tree, all the gifts piled under it.

"Alright, who'll start?" Cassie asked excitedly.

Liu Kang raised a hand shyly and grabbed the gift from under the tree, passing it to Mileena.

The girl gasped dramatically.  
"You're my secret Santa, Liu-Liu?" She asked sweetly.

If one looked closely, they could see Kitana seething inside as her twin checked the gift bag to see the nice, raspberry pink scarf in it before wrapping the boy in a tight hug.

"Thank youuuu.~"

"Heh, you're welcome."

Poor Liu Kang. 

And to think that he ALMOST got who he wanted to.

The gift swapping continued…

Kitana got Rain a nice pair of aviator sunglasses and he, in turn, was coincidentally HER secret Santa and got her a beautiful hair clip in the shape of a diadem, with a big blue gem in the middle of it.

Kung Lao got Tanya a honey infused face mask. A tip from Mileena. If it were his choice he'd probably get like a Lego set or something, like the mental 5 year old that he is.

To Kung Lao's dismay, Kotal got Jade.

And the class president got the girl an enchanting jade necklace on a gold chain, to honor her namesake.

She twirled the green gem in her finger, absolutely mesmerised by it.  
"This is beautiful. Thank you, Kotal." 

Jade let him help her put it on, and afterwards, turned back to plant a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Kung Lao looked away from the sight all together, quietly frying in his anger.

Tanya tapped his shoulder, a pitiful pout on her face.  
"I can kiss you if it'll make you feel better."

"That's very thoughtful of you, but no thanks." He mumbled angrily.

The swapping continued for what seemed like another whole hour.

With a few people yet to receive their gifts, including the host.

Cassie put her hands on her hips dramatically.  
"Now which one of y'all is my secret Santa, huh?" She asked jokingly.

A tap on her shoulder.

She turned to see Frost with what seemed like a small album in her hands.

"Oh my Gosh…"

Turns out Frost had snuck some polaroids of Cassie when she wasn't looking in the past few days. Knowing a photoshoot with the cute physical copies of the photos is something Cassie really wanted.

She flipped through the pages, three or four polaroids on each.

"I also got some of your Instagram pictures laminated in there… Thought you'd like it… or whatever." Frost told her shyly.

Cassie pulled her blue haired friend into a tight hug.  
"This is the cutest thing ever. I can't believe you hid the fact that I was your recipient so well." 

"Surpriiiise…" She jokingly said, in a monotone voice. "But it seems like no one pulled my name so…"

"Hoooold on!" Tanya said, jumping from her seat and getting the light blue gift bag from under the tree, excitedly hopping over to Frost. "Ehehehehe open it, open it, open it."

Frost narrowed her eyes at the popular girl suspiciously as she pulled the contents of the bag out.

Revealing a soft-looking baby blue beret. 

"Oh. This is… nice." 

"Put it on." Tanya suggested.

"Maybe lat--"

"PUT IT ON!" She now demanded, but with the same bright smile on her face.

"Jeez…" Frost succumbed and put the French hat on, her similarly colored, short strands of hair peeking from under it.

Making the girl look absolutely adorable.

"IT LOOKS SO GOOD!" Tanya yelled, clapping. "My mind. Everyone say it looks good. NOW!"

Everyone mumbled in agreement.

"Thank you… I… I actually love it." Frost said with a small smile, giving Tanya a quick hug.

"Of course you do! The fashion icon of the class got it, after all."

"I beg to differ!" Mileena yelled, earning a laugh from the entire class.

With that everyone started to disperse, those whose parents came joining them to finally head home.

Erron slowly approached Cassie.  
"What a day, huh, Santa? Everyone got a little closer. Got gifts. Takeda and Jacqui finally got it on… The magic of Christmas hit it hard this time." He shrugged. "Sucks that I got left out from the gift swapping. Lemme pretend I'm sad for a second." He wiped a fake tear. "There. I'm done."

Cassie smirked and crossed her arms.  
"Hold your horses, cowboy."

She walked over to the tree and picked up a small envelope from under it before handing it to him unceremoniously.  
"Merry Christmas, Erron."

"Oh? You finally snapped and got a restraining order against me?"

"God, I wish." She joked. "Yeah, no, just open it."

Erron humored her and opened the envelope. Some boring ol' document inside that he couldn't bother to read.  
"What is this?" He simply asked.

"Wellll, you know that abandoned bar you guys hang out at that you fooled the demolition company into not demolishing?"

"Aha..?"

"I did some research and it turns out those guys have recently figured out that they've been punked and it was scheduled for demolition once again… But not anymore. Now that it has an owner."

Cassie pointed to the bottom of the document, the address now registered under his name.

He stared at her in utter shock, a very rare expression from him.  
"You… got me a fucking building?!"

"Had to pull some strings since you only recently turned 18 and you have to be at least 6 months into adulthood to own an establishment like that but it worked out sooo… Yeah. I officially bought you your little man cave. You won't have to sneak in through the torn fence anymore." She said with a laugh.

Erron just kept looking from her to the document, then back at her.

Cassie swayed in place in mock shyness.  
"You know, a thank you would be appre--"

Suddenly he pulled her into a hug, a tight one at that.  
"Thank you, Cassie, I--..." He let go of her. "I could fucking marry you right now."

The blonde hissed.  
"Yikes. No. Buuut your gratitude is pleasant and appreciated." She put aside her snarkiness for a second. "Enjoy it." 

"I-I will I… I--... Fuck, I can't talk. Thank you."

Cassie laughed.  
"Seeing you as a stuttering mess like this is more than worth it."

"Sure it is, Princess, sure." He shook his head. "A fucking building. She got me a fucking building for a classroom secret Santa."

She shoved him playfully.  
"Don't mention iiit."

Afterwards, Cassie escorted all of her guests out in small groups, wishing them all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Before finally slumping down the living room couch with her parents.

"We gotta clean all this mess before Christmas Eve." Sonya mumbled.

"There's wrapping paper everywhere…" Johnny complained absently, pulling out an empty gift bag from under him. 

"Hey, guys?" Cassie addressed her parents.

"Hm?" They sounded off tiredly.

"I'm so glad that we moved here."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *peeks from behind a curtain as crowd boos* Heeeey... How y'all doin'? 
> 
> Djsjjdjd but in all seriousness HELLO I'm sorry the update TOOK OVER A MONTH I've been incredibly busy with schoolwork and the writer's block was a BITCH but I'm BACK and without further ado let's just get to these kiddos
> 
> As always the link to the outfits Google doc  
> ⬇️⬇️⬇️
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14t_ByXo2m6DWgdO7lGfBtEh-MSokGbksMYm1bNNjtSU/edit?usp=drivesdk

With the winter holidays coming to an end, it was time for the students of Edenia high to return to school, hopefully well rested, ready to reinstate their routines and face the hardships of high school life once again.

The seniors especially, getting ready to tackle their final semester. 

On a chilly January morning, first day back, Cassie and Frost were making their way into the classroom, chatting absently about their plans for the day.

The blonde pushed the door to their classroom open.

"WOAH, woah, careful, please." Kuai Liang warned from a ladder she almost knocked aside with the door.

"Shoot, sorry, dude." Cassie carefully closed the door again."What are you up to, anyway?" 

"Removing the Christmas decorations. Dirty work, but someone's gotta do it." He complained, throwing a couple of ornaments into their box. 

Cass chuckled.  
"Local hero." 

The boy smirked and winked at his friend before getting back to removing the ornaments and garlands.

Frost rolled her eyes at the exchange and dragged Cassie along.  
"Come on, let's go."

Kuai Liang turned back to them again.  
"Oh! Girls, can you please make sure people open the door carefully?" 

"Sure thing!"

"And miss the opportunity of seeing you fall off a ladder?" Frost asked, smirking.

"Right, of course, I forgot you'd pay good money to see that happen." He deadpanned, earning a shrug from the blue haired girl. "Cass… Will you?"

"Dude, don't worry I won't let anyone knock you off."

He nodded and got back to work.

Cassie threw a quick disappointed glare Frost's way before they both slid into their seats. 

Jacqui leant over her desk to talk to the duo.  
"Morning, my pale pals." She greeted happily.

"Someone's glowiiing." Cassie pointed out.  
"Looks like that post-boyfriend glow." 

Jacqui blushed a little.  
"Sh… Shhh… Shush it."

"Nah uh, do tell. NOW." The blonde insisted.

Jacqui shrugged, playing with one of her box braids.  
"Me and Takeda went out a few times as… Y'know… Not just friends." She paused and wiped the drawing of their initials in a heart off the desk. "It was amazing."

"All hail the Christmas party!" Cassie cheered. 

"But that's not what I wanted to talk about! Actually I do but like… Later, when we get to hang out." 

"Yeah, no way Cass will let you leave out any details." Frost teased.

Cassie shoved Frost off her seat.  
"Anywayyyy… So what DID you want to talk about."

"The whole class is going to an ice rink later today, you guys coming right?"

The blonde braced herself for having to convince Frost to go when the latter replied…

"I'd love to."

Cassie blinked a few times.  
"Who are you and what have you done to my friend? Oh my God, Jacqui, I think this is a changeling."

"Haha, introvert bad, we get it, Cass. For your information I've loved ice rinks since I was a kid, I had one near my childhood home."

Cass raised her hands defensively.  
"Just weird knowing you enjoyed anything sport-related." 

Frost shrugged.  
"Learn something new everyday, right?"

"So I can count you guys in?" Jacqui asked. 

"Oh, one more thing, where's the ice rink exactly?" Cassie asked.

And the sports captain gladly explained the directions.

"Shit… That's one uncomfortable route for me to go back home then join you guys."  
The blonde sunk in her seat, bummed.

"It's pretty close to my place…" Frost whispered.

Cassie slowly turned to her.

"You can stop by… If you want to wait it out, I guess" She murmured the offer.

Cass fanned her eyes from tearing up.  
"That's the first time you've invited me oveeer…" 

"Jesus Christ, Cassie, you're acting like I proposed to you." Frost complained. 

Cassie hugged her friend close.  
"I'd love to come over!"

Jacqui stretched over the desk even more.  
"Make room for me, I ain't missing a hug." 

"...I hate this." 

~~~

Across the classroom, Liu Kang slid into the seat next to Kitana, a worried look on his face.  
"Hey… I heard the news, you alright?"

Kitana raised a brow, turning to him.  
"Wait, what news?"

"They're cutting the duration of the cheer team performances of all the upcoming football games this season." 

"What?! Why?!" She asked in disbelief, louder than she usually is.

Kung Lao butted into the conversation.  
"Yeah I heard there was some board meeting about it. Apparently they thought 13 minutes was too generous."

"Oh no no no no." Kitana mumbled, holding her head.

Liu Kang put a reassuring hand on her back.  
"Hey… I know it's upsetting you're gonna lose the already limited time you guys had."

"Liu, that's not what I'm worried about." She explained.

He raised a brow.  
"What then?"

"Mileena's gonna raise hell--"

As if on cue, the classroom door flung open at the hands of the other twin.

Hitting the ladder Kuai Liang was on like a domino, making him fall on his back with a loud thud, the heavy ornament he was reaching for falling on his head.

The entire class erupted with gasps, some at Kuai's painful fall, others at Mileena's enraged entrance.

Not stopping for a second to assess the damage she caused and apologize to the fallen classmate, she pointed at the class president across the room.  
"YOU!"

"Oh God…" Kotal whispered, half scared, half exasperated. 

The brunette stormed over to the boy, presumably with the intent to kill.

Jade stood in between them, holding Mileena back.  
"Oookay, dearie, let's calm down, okay?" The mediator suggested. 

"Let me go! I'm gonna twist his head off and shove it up his--"  
Mileena shouted aggressively.

Kotal raised his hands.  
"Before you… do that… I know what this is about."

"Yeah, no shit!"

"That wasn't my idea, I was actually trying to convince the board how important the cheerleaders are!"

"Like hell!"

Rain and Tanya rushed over and gently pulled Mileena away, calming her down too while they were at it.

"This. Is my last. Year. As cheer captain. And whatever assholes gather at those stupid board meetings just had to ruin it!" Milly yelled.

Tanya cupped Mileena's cheek.  
"Don't cause a scene, babe, we'll figure this out." 

The pale brunette shook Tanya and Rain off herself and stomped back out of the classroom, the former two not far behind. No apology spared once again.

The rest of the class gathered around Kuai Liang who seemed to be in a great deal of pain.

Hanzo heaved as he lifted his best friend into a somewhat seated position.  
"Jeeesus, dude, you alright?"

"Cass, you had one job..." The victim wheezed, holding his bleeding forehead. 

Cassie ran a panicked hand through her hair.  
"I'm so sorry sh-she came in so suddenly I-I didn't even see her." 

"Nah, it's my fault, I should have moved the ladder." 

Frost, still not particularly sympathetic towards the guy, rolled her eyes.  
"Even now he acts like a saint." She mumbled, not loud enough for anyone to hear… or rather - care. 

Sareena pouted and pulled her boyfriend's brother into an embrace.  
"Poor baby… I'm taking you to the nurse's office, can someone else join? We'll need the extra hands."

Cassie sighed shakily.  
"I'll come. It's my fault he fell, the least I can do is help now." As she tried to get up, Frost held her down and got up instead.

"I think you've helped plenty." She said mockingly. "I'll go."

"Great! Help me get him up." 

With that the two girls assisted Kuai out of the classroom.

Cassie crossed her arms, deep in thought about Frost's catty behaviour.

She'll let it slide. For ~love~ or whatever. 

"What a way to start the semester, huh?" Jacqui muttered.

"Poor guy…"

Jacqui laughed.

"Jesus, Briggs!" Cassie exclaimed.

"Dude, Kuai fell off the second floor window once, helping hang up the 'Welcome back, students.' sign. He'll walk it off."

"Sure hope so."

Just then the black dragon clique entered the room, carefully stepping over the dropped ornaments.  
"The hell happened here?" Erron asked, confused.

"Long story…" Cass mumbled.

"Somehow it's always a long story with this class." He said sarcastically.

Cassie laughed.  
"Tell me about it."

The boy acknowledged her.  
"Missed you over the holidays, Princess."

She rolled her eyes.  
"Can't say I share the sentiment. How's real estate ownership going?"

"Hmm, come visit and find out." He whispered.

"Forget I asked." She sassed. 

~~~

Over at the medbay, Sareena separated from Kuai and Frost, in search of the nurse, leaving the blue haired girl to tend to the boy who was sprawled on the worn out medical bed. 

She sat at the foot of it, scrolling through her phone, ignoring the somewhat awkward silence.

Kuai Liang laughed weakly.  
"Admit it, you jinxed me falling." He joked.

"Don't be ridiculous. If it were my wishful thinking, the fall would have been way more painful." She… joked..?.. right back. 

"Well at least you got something." The brunette played along, hissing as he rubbed the wound above his brow. "Fuck, my head…" He whined.

Frost hopped off the table and walked over to where his head rested.  
"How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked, holding up three of her slender digits, trying to distract him from the splitting headache. 

"About... Seventeen." He answered tiredly.

"Yeap, that's it." She laughed.

"I wonder what that whole deal with the cheerleading team was. Never seen Mileena so pissed."

The girl rolled her eyes.  
"Can you think about yourself for five seconds?"

"Won't really help, will it?"

Frost sighed, defeated and started absently poking the bruise that had formed on his forehead. 

"...Ow?"

But she kept poking, stopping for only a second to move a strand of his hair that had gotten in the way with an almost… exaggerated gentleness. 

...But then right back to poking the bruise, deliberately.

He grabbed her wrist and shoved it away.  
"Can you stop?!"

She smirked, leaning her crossed arms on the edge of the bed, looking down at him.  
"My, that's the closest I've seen you to losing your cool." 

"Yeah, believe it or not, poking someone's fresh bruise will have that effect." 

"Or you're just a wimp."

He snort-laughed.  
"You're not getting a reaction out of me." 

"Wimp." She repeated, popping the P.

"Matter of fact, you're not even here."

"He has a boo-boo and wants his mommyyy."

"Sure is nice in this medbay all alone."

"Oh, real mature." She mumbled. 

"Says the one mocking someone else's pain."

"I'm sorry, I thought I wasn't even here." 

Kuai Liang rolled his eyes.

"1-0" Frost said with a short drum roll on the bed. 

"Satisfied?" He made sure to ask.

"Very." She whispered with a reserved smile.

Just then Sareena burst into the room.  
"Okay, so, the nurse is on maternity leave, but the administrator did tell me where everything is." 

She rushed into the storage room of the medbay and came back with an ice pack, butterfly bandaids and what seemed like painkillers. 

Sareena gently stroked Kuai's forehead.  
"This'll fix you right up, okay?"

He leaned into her touch.  
"Thanks, Sar."

Frost fumed internally, pretty much ready to yank the bleached strands of Sareena's hair right out of her scalp. 

The goth turned to her.  
"Professor Raiden rushed me on the way here, let's hurry."

Frost cleared her throat.  
"You can go ahead and return to class. I'll take care of it."

Sareena's eyes widened.  
"Oh! Uhm… You sure?" 

"Positive." She said with a forced smile.

"Alright, well…" the black clad girl started as she passed the supplies along. "Don't take too long!"

Kuai Liang grabbed Sareena's hand and whined.  
"Don't leave me with her." He pleaded jokingly.

"Fuck you too."

The brunette chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair before turning to leave.

Once she was out, Frost quietly opened the pack of butterfly closures, gently applying two of them on the small cut right above his eyebrow. 

"Hope you know it was a joke." He mumbled.

"Yyyeah, I don't really care, honestly." She sassed with an indifferent tone.

"Well, you do have a pattern of not being able to take a joke."

As an answer, she harshly pressed the ice pack to his forehead, making him hiss in pain.  
"I take jokes very well." 

"Clearly…" He wheezed.

Frost walked over to the small sink in the room to get him a glass of water for the medicine and returned with a small grin on her face.

Kuai narrowed his eyes at her.  
"Why are you smiling."

"Just realized they'll probably just send you home now, which means no extracurriculars for you today, which means your perfect attendance is…" she gestured an explosion with her hand. "Poof. No more." 

"I'm not going anywhere." He assured.

The girl raised a brow.  
"You have a hole in your forehead."

"A rare opportunity to show you that I can outperform you even with a hole in my forehead." 

Frost gritted her teeth and balled her first, crumpling the box of bandaids in her palm.  
"Why you little--"

"1-1." He whispered smugly as he downed the painkiller. 

She dug her index finger into his chest accusingly.  
"I knew you were a smug little sonuvabitch, it's everyone else you're such a saint around." She moved closer to him. "I. Can see."

And closer.  
"Right."

And even closer.  
"Through you."

Kuai Liang searched for something in her eyes for a second before standing up, towering over his short classmate.  
"If you're done with your tirade, we can head back to class now."

"Urgh. Finally."

"After you."

"AfTeR yOu." Frost mocked as she stomped out of the medbay.

~~~

The rest of the school day went by quite uneventfully. Well… Save for the several attempts of aggravated assault by Mileena towards Kotal. 

Worried about his safety, the class president promised the cheer captain to deal with the duration cuts, in exchange asking the girl to stop looking at him like he murdered her family.

That's mostly what he's been up to after hours, setting up appointments with the principal and administrators, hoping to undo the insignificant change.

That's when Mr. Fujin approached.  
"Kotal. A minute."

Making sure there was nothing else he could do to hurry the process of getting the cheer routine back to its basics, Kotal nodded and followed the teacher into his classroom.

"You were TA last year."

"Uh… Yeah?" 

"I never... overbore you with work, did I?"

"Of course not, sir. Why are you asking?"

The teacher leant against his desk, arms crossed.  
"It's about Jade."

Kotal swallowed heavily just at the mention of the valedictorian's name.  
"Is she alright?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, yeah, she's fine it's just been… Impossible to get her to not overwork herself. I told her I could grade these recent essays myself, I heard you kids wanted to go somewhere today to celebrate the new semester but she just walled herself up in the library with your essays as well as some of the freshmen's work." Fujin explained. "The poor kid is gonna burn herself out."

Kotal shrugged.  
"I'm not sure why you're telling me this."

"I know you two are close." He smiled. "She'll listen to you, go reassure her that she has done more than enough and can enjoy her day." The teacher shrugged. "Maybe ask her to go with you, offer her a ride." He suggested. 

Kotal blinked a few times.  
"I-- I suppose I could do that, if you need me to, sir."

Fujin threw his hand over Kotal's shoulder, friendly patting it.  
"You two are great kids, hard-working, diligent… Maybe you can help each other unwind."

The student shrugged shyly.  
"Guess so. I'll be right on that, Mr. Fujin."

"You kids have a great day." The young teacher said with a smile.

Once out of the history classroom, Kotal didn't stall with taking Mr. Fujin's advice, rushing to the library to get his crush out of her work trance… Maybe this could be his chance.

Quite unexpectedly, he ran into Kung Lao just at the entrance of the library.

They narrowed their eyes at each other. 

"What are you doing here?" Kotal asked suspiciously.

"Oh, you know." Kung Lao inhaled deeply. "Just… Breathing in the knowledge this place has to offer." He explained dramatically.

"Let's just fast forward your sad excuses for jokes, why are you here, at the library."

"Miss Cetrion sent me to get Jade to put aside the TA work." The class clown explained.

Kotal frowned.  
"That's what Fujin sent me to do." 

Kung Lao tilted his head.  
"You're telling me different teachers simultaneously told us to ask Jade out to the ice rink later while getting her to stop doing their work?"

The class president palmed his chin thoughtfully.  
"Something's not right."

Kung Lao mimicked him.  
"Right?"

The two boys put their brains together and stood there for a good minute like the thinking men they were.

"...Nope, I've got nothing!" Kung Lao said. "Well, see ya." He bid farewell, about to walk into the library.

When the taller teen grabbed him by the back of his collar.  
"Not so fast."

"Oh, come on, dude! I arrived first!" Kung Lao pointed at himself. "I'm gonna ask her to accompany me."

Kotal snort-laughed.  
"And WALK her all the way there? Sorry, man, but at the very least I can drive her."

"A walk will always be more romantic than a drive." The jokester muttered.

"Yeah, denial, that'll work." 

"Why do you even think she'd agree?"

"Why do YOU?!" Kotal countered.

Kung Lao crossed his arms.  
"There has to be a way to do this civilly."

The class president rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  
"I mean… We could both offer and then let her choose?"

"...Dude, you're right, it's the 21st century."

"Yeah, we're not ANIMALS."

"Totally."

The two boys shook on it respectfully.

"Hey." Kung Lao started. "Look at us."

"Look. At. Us."

"Who would have thought?"

"Not me."

"After you, my guy."

"Nah, nah, all yours, man."

Kung Lao cleared his throat.  
"Think we can both fit."

Inside the library the two found the workaholic with two piles of A4 paper on each side and a VISIBLY overheating laptop in front of her.

Their shadows loomed over Jade and she looked up worriedly, bracing for what the two admirers were up to.  
"Oh no… What's this about?"

"Don't worry, babe, we're both just here to rescue you." Kung Lao said heroically.

The two boys yanked the piles of paper away and closed her laptop.

"Hey!" She exclaimed. "What the hell, guys?"

"The teachers said they'll deal with this. Now. The two of us were wondering if you'd want either of us to accompany you to the ice rink today?"

Jade raised her brow, unimpressed.  
"Wow. And how long did you fight over this."

"We didn't actually. The decision's all yours anyway." Kotal explained.

Jade stood up and crossed her arms.  
"Surprisingly mature. Didn't expect that from either of you."

"Hey!" Kung Lao shouted. "I get ME but Mr. class prez over here is mature."

"Thanks, man."

The girl laughed in disbelief.  
"Am I being punked? Since when are you so tight?"

"We aren't." Kotal said.

Lao turned to him sadly.  
"We aren't? Damn, dude, thought we had a moment."

The class president rolled his eyes, turning back to Jade.  
"We just wanted to do this civilly. No 'dibs' here."

A smile spread on the tan girl's face.  
"I'd love all three of us to go together."

Kung Lao and Kotal eyed each other again.

"Sounds… Great. I'll drive you two." The taller boy offered.

"I call shotgun!" Kung Lao said excitedly, only to be shushed by the librarian. "Sorry!"

Jade bit her lip nervously.  
"Shoot, what about Kitana then?"

Lao cackled.  
"I'm sure Liu'll be more than happy to drive her."

Jade smiled brightly.  
"Gosh I… That sounds perfect! Thanks, boys."

"You know it, babe."

"Anytime, Jade."

The girl checked her wrist watch.  
"Well we've got a few more hours to kill…" She whispered as she opened her laptop back up. "Will you guys help me tackle a liiiittle bit more work before we go?" She pleaded.

Her admirers sighed heavily, plopping down in front of the piles of paperwork.

The things they do for love.

~~~

A little over 3 hours before the class had to meet at the ice rink, Cassie and Frost were on their way to the latter's house.

It took a bit of convincing for the blonde to agree to get into an Uber, the Beverly Hills native just wasn't used to it.

But all was said and done now and the duo arrived at the quaint street Frost's house was on.

Cassie hurried up the porch excitedly, bouncing in place as she waited for her friend.

Frost snort-laughed, pulling out the front door key.  
"You're still beaming."

"Sorry, I'm just excited! I didn't think you'd ever invite me over!"

"Why not?" The blue haired girl asked, unlocking the door.

"I don't know, I just guessed you lived outside of town in a remote lil' introvert safe space." She joked. 

Frost threw her an unimpressed glance.  
"I'm about to call another Uber for you to leave."

"NO, NO, NO, NO--"

"Stop yelling, dumbass!"

"Oh shit, sorry, are your parents home?"

"It's just screaming no at the top of your lungs in broad daylight isn't ideal." Frost said sarcastically as she let them both in.

"Sooo… Your parents aren't home?"

"They rarely are. Currently abroad too, so the house is all mine."

"Ugh, the dream…" Cassie mused. 

Frost chuckled, hanging her coat in a closet, while chucking Cassie's on an arm chair in the living room.  
"Want something to drink?"

"Nah, I only want the metaphorical tea of what happened at the medbay today." Cassie whispered slyly.

"I applied bandaids on his bleeding forehead, nothing glamorous." Frost deadpanned.

"You just don't REALIZE the inherent eroticism of patching someone's wounds." Cassie explained.

"I--... I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

The two friends went to the kitchen and Cass hopped on one of the counters, ready to inquire further.  
"No, really what did you two talk about."

Frost shrugged, grabbing a box of cookies out of a cupboard and grabbing one before handing the pack to the blonde.  
"Nothing, he was just being an ass." She complained, biting into the sugar cookie. "Can we stop talking about this?" 

Cassie swayed her legs a bit.  
"Mmmkay…"

Suddenly, quiet purring shifted Cassie's attention to the archway that separated the kitchen from the living room and a fluffy white kitten found its way into the room.

The blonde hopped off the counter bending over to admire the gorgeous feline.  
"Who's this adorable little thiiing? Hiii…"

Frost walked over to the cat and picked it up, pressing a firm kiss to its floofy face as the pet meowed quietly.  
"This is Snowflake. My child, my everything." She said.

Cassie went closer, desperate to caress the fluff ball, only for it to hiss and scratch at her for the attempt.

"Wow. Rude."

"Sorry, she doesn't really like strangers." Frost explained, lightly bouncing the cat in her arms. 

"Like mother, like daughter." Cass joked.

Frost chuckled.  
"She'll get used to you like I did, don't worry." She put the cat down and it slid between her legs, into the kitchen. "Anything particular you'd want to do while we wait?"

"Well, first of all, win over the love of your cat and secondly, I'm beating those answers about what went down at the medbay out of you whether you like it or not, missy." Cassie threatened.

"...This is gonna be a long hangout."

Afterwards the two friends occupied themselves with a movie, mixed with an occasional question from Cass about the medbay, that Frost would try to shut down..

Not that there was anything to tell, right?

Eventually, they were graced with Snowflake's presence too. The cat had plopped down on the couch lazily, even allowing Cassie to rub her belly. The blonde was honored. 

Well, time flies by when you're having fun, they say, and soon enough it was time for the girls to head to the ice rink.

Cassie - more than happy to celebrate the start of her second and last semester in the school.

~~~

Jacqui and Takeda were first to arrive at the destination. Much like they planned.

For year, the boy feared that the truth would just make everything awkward between the two of them.

But that… couple… thing… just came naturally to them.

As expected, Jacqui didn't waste time in getting her ice skates on and diving onto the rink.  
"I'm so glad we did this!" She exclaimed happily, gliding on the ice with ease.

Takeda clumsily followed, joining her in the middle of the rink, Jacqui barely catching his arms as he was about to fall face first on the ice.

The sports captain giggled.  
"Falling for me?" 

He smirked, squeezing her arms lovingly.  
"It's been years and only NOW you notice."

Jacqui smirked right back, standing on her tippy toes on the skates against all laws of physics.  
"Smoothe." She commended, leaning in and giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"This is a public place, lovebirds." A familiar voice pointed out.

Takeda sighed.  
"Great timing, Cass."

The blonde wiped a fake tear and sniffled.  
"You two are just adorable."

"So adorable my eyes almost bled out of their sockets." Frost muttered.

Cassie shoved her away, skating over to Jacqui and Takeda.  
"Ignore her. You guys ready to have some fun?" 

"The fun was already here, you guys are just a bonus." Jacqui sassed.

"I'll take it."

One by one or group by group the rest of the class joined them on the giant ice rink.

The place wasn't empty, but not very crowded either, so the class still had a bunch of space just for themselves.

Cassie and Frost skated to the front where Hanzo and Kuai Liang had just arrived.

"Hey, boys!" 

Hanzo put a hand on his friend's shoulder.  
"This thing here is complete dead weight, can you guys watch it while I skate!"

Kuai snort-laughed, pushing his best friend away.  
"Get the fuck out of here, dude."

"Can't skate?" Frost asked almost smugly.

"Done it like twice in my life so…" the boy shrugged. "...Yes and no. Keep in my mind I've also got a mild concussion." He joked.

"Hmm… Interesting." The blue haired girl muttered.

Cassie shook her head at the former before turning back to Kuai.  
"Sure you can do this?"

"Wouldn't say no to a bit of help." He said, looking pointedly at Frost.

"And miss the opportunity to see you fall TWICE on the same day?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes.  
"Miss the opportunity to gloat about doing something objectively better than me."

Frost weighed in her options.  
"...Okay, come with me." She mumbled.

The two skated… Or rather one of them waddled in another direction while Cassie was left to observe the whole scene.

Groups of two, three and even four, with Mileena's squad, skating and having fun… But someone looked completely left out. 

Cassie smiled to herself before skating over to the fence of the rink outside of which Erron stood, crossed arms against the fence.  
"The rink's on this side, you know?" 

The Texan leaned his head in his palm.  
"Brilliant insight, Princess, would have never figured it out." He said sarcastically.

"No need to thank me. Now come here." She ordered, lightly stomping on the ice.

"I'm good." He deadpanned.

Cassie crossed her arms and leant her weight on one leg impatiently.  
"As your landlord I'm ordering you to get the skates and get inside."

Erron raised a brow.  
"Landlord? You gifted me full ownership, Sugar, remember?"

"I'm still your landlord… Morally… Whatever, just get your ass in here, everyone else has joined. And don't worry about the embarrassment, not even 50% of us are even remotely good at this."

He clicked his tongue.  
"Something's telling me you won't just leave me be."

"Aren't you smart..."

"...Alrighty, fine." He pointed at her strictly. "But if I die… Blood's on your hands, missy."

"Sure, I'll brag about it."

Erron snort-laughed, walking off to get skates.  
"Brat."

Minutes passed and the Texan shuffled onto the ice.

Cassie invited Kano and Kabal over to cheer him on.  
"Aww, guys, his first steps."

"Where's the camera?" Kabal said dramatically.

Erron blushed under his hat.  
"You said this won't be embarrassing."

"I never said that, you're just not the only one it's embarrassing for."

"Touché."

Kabal and Kano skated off, leaving Erron to shuffle over to Cassie, hanging onto her arm.

She groaned.  
"Dude, lighten your grip, you're dragging us both down."

"I mean that's kind of the gOAL--"

Next thing they knew, Cassie's leg slid from under herself, both of them toppling over one another.

The nearby classmates couldn't help but chuckle.

Erron peeled himself off her.  
"Bet you already regret making me do this."

"Immensely." She wheezed, pushing him off her completely. But y'know, humiliating moments to keep you up at 3 am years later are part of the experience." Cassie reassured.

"Great." He muttered sarcastically, getting up and helping her up too.

Cass grabbed his forearms and guided him through the smoothe sliding moments so he wouldn't waddle anymore.  
"See, just like that, we aren't penguins here." She instructed.

The blonde helped him through motions for another 10 minutes or so, all the while he just grinned down at her, very aware of her grip on his forearms.

All of a sudden, he broke into a hearty laugh.

Cassie stopped.  
"What's so funny?"

"Alright… Okay… I have a confession to make." Erron said as he skated a smooth lap around her. "I can skate freely, it was just fun to see you go all teacher mode."

She pursed her lips angrily and stared emptily at the ground.  
"I… I hate you."

He laughed again.  
"S-sorry."

"Ten minutes of my life WASTED."

The Texan smirked.  
"If it makes you feel any better, Princess, you're a great teacher."

"Thanks, totally makes up for the ten precious minutes of my life that I lost."

"You're so dramatic."

"Aaaaand you're an asshole." She said, skating backwards and flipping him off with both hands.

Kabal skated over to him, cackling as he crossed his arms.  
"Totally digging you, huh?" He mocked.

Erron smirked.  
"You'll see, my friend." Before returning his gaze to the blonde. "You'll see."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, leave kudos if you liked it and comment something nice if you'd like :))


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